On the Other Side
by Dubh
Summary: Ebott was never famous for it's earthquakes, but the recent one is bound to change fates. For it opened a window to what was long forgotten, but desired by many on both sides.
1. Glimpse

First rays of the morning sun shone lazily from behind few small hills, brushing the tips of tall, old trees softly. Few dim stars that were still visible in cloudless sky far in the west turned dimmer by second.  
The night was slowly unveiling, cloaking the world in warm gold. Just before the rays reached calm waves of a small lake deep in the woods a large dapple grey horse dashed past it. Its rider taking course deeper into the darkness as if racing against the light. Still, undisturbed silence of the sleeping nature was only broken by the rhythmical sound of heavy hoofs clashing against rare flat stones scattered on the narrow path.

Soon the rider was out of trees' shadows trailing up on a crooked edge of a high cliff: significantly slower, but confident in every step of the creature below her, visibly familiar with every turn.  
The, still rising sun now shone gently upon the silvery mane her long fingers were brushing. Cool breeze flowing through her locks ruffled few rolled up papers carefully placed in a half-closed saddlebag.

"Thank god nothing collapsed here" – she said out loud, even though no one could hear her voice – "I guess I should be happy they finally let me come here… isn't that right, buddy?"  
She fixed her eyes down on her only companion rubbing its neck. Looking up once more she took a turn and found herself on a wide area she mostly passed by, though this time something caught her attention. A small crack on the cliff wall spread upwards opening up a gap high above: it wasn't hard to guess the reason behind this change, but the strange thing about it was the long, thin streak of smoke hanging over it.  
Needless to say it wasn't a natural phenomenon, at least she didn't think it was, Ebott wasn't a volcanic mountain either.  
"Kinda looks like a smoke from a campfire… Maybe there's a cave" – her mind yelled – "I bet it's pretty"

With that thought she lightly tugged the leather rein, leading her horse to the right and around the cliff. The few boulders and trees were, luckily, far enough from each other to make a pathway for both of them to pass. After about thirty minutes another crack could be seen between sharp rocks. This one was a lot lower and wider. Getting off the horse the girl walked up to it and, standing on her tip toes, glanced inside.  
The space was pitch-black, unconsciously she narrowed her eyes stretching her neck a bit further in an attempt to make out something.  
A sudden silent movement not far from the opening startled the girl into taking a quick step back, her eyes fixed on that spot. When it repeated a couple of more times she sighed.  
"Stop being such a scaredy-cat, Casey, grow up" – she mentally scolded herself looking back up.  
Right when she did one more water drop fell from somewhere above and giving out a sharp sparkle disappeared far below. Actually not that far when she looked closer: only few feet lower she saw a ripple shine dimly under sunlight on surface of seemingly endless black water.  
"There's a lake in there" – she smiled, excitement visible in her eyes, then turned and continued her way on foot.  
Eager to find what she was searching for, she completely ignored the fact that it would be faster to ride. But none of that mattered when she spotted another opening and darted that way, her horse trailing behind. At this point it felt like a scavenger hunt for her: something she never had a chance to do, but always loved the idea of.

This time the crack was covering a large area of the cliff, trailing from ground upwards and ended a couple of feet above her. Though quiet narrow at the base the crack widened enough for her to pass through, but by the looks of it she wouldn't be able to get out the same way, as the ground inside was deep and the walls were steep. Leaning on either side of the crack she stuck her head in looking around.  
Her eyes widened then narrowed when her gaze spotted something in the depths of the cave. It glowed Cyan blue, its bright but not blinding light reflected in dark water near it. For a moment it wavered and few sparkles drifted up like small fireflies frightened by a sudden movement escaping the safety of a…  
"Is that a flower?" – Casey asked in a half-whisper, her eyes not leaving the beauty of the scene.  
The moment she questioned it the image cleared in her mind as if answering her. Breaking out of her daze she ran back to the horse that didn't seem to pay any attention to her. In a minute she was completely lost in her mind: with a sketchbook on her lap and few pencils on her side she made few quick sketches of the flower, new ideas and images racing through her mind as she did.  
For the next couple of hours she spent drawing everything her mind created, sometimes mixing few ideas to create a new world. Finishing each, Casey wrote few words about what the mood and colors of the finished painting should be. Though very few of her works ended up on canvas, she cherished every image she thought of and those few words scribbled on each page of her sketchbooks helped her to never forget any of those.

The morning sun felt nice, it was Casey's favorite, warm and gentle, never burned or made the air unbearably hot. Leaning on the cliff she closed her eyes letting the rays rush over her as dreamworld loomed closer.

A quite groan escaped Casey's mouth and her eyes slowly cracked open as an unfamiliar sound reached her ears. Tuning in a bit more she distinguished a voice, two of them. She straightened her back and looked around, searching for the source, but there was no one in sight.  
"We should, at least, tell Undyne! She's my friend" – said a slightly high-pitched male voice, he seemed upset.  
"I'm sorry, Pap, but I can't do it" – answered the second one: a deep, slightly rough voice – "can't let her, or anyone else, learn about my shortcuts, you know how it works"  
They echoed quite close now, yet there still wasn't anyone, even though she was facing the voices the space in front of her was remaining empty.  
"Wait, echoed" – she muttered – "they echoed!"

She turned to the gap and looked inside. After the bright sunlight she could only make out faded outlines of two figures moving through darkness. Nevertheless they were there, inside that cave and that meant that they could direct her to the entrance.  
After few more words spoken the two men grew silent, making their way to where Casey was slower than she'd appreciated. While pondering whether she should call out or wait for them to notice her first, she kept watching the strangers. Now that her eyes adjusted to darkness she could make everything out a bit better.

The walls and ground of the cave were black, or dark at least, with not a single blade of grass sprouting, which was understandable considering the lack of sunlight. Far to the right was a lake or a river, its dark waters reflecting the light of few crystals on the ceiling like the night sky.  
And then there were those two guys, they seemed a bit strange to Casey, yet she couldn't understand why. One was few inches taller than her, though a lot larger: with broad shoulders and round face. He was wearing a, from the first glance, thick jacket with fur lined hood that was, currently, covering his head. That was a bit odd: it was warm outside, sure the wind was chilly, but clothing like that would be an overkill, for the wearer that is. Casey imagined herself slowly dying in that thing, wasn't a pretty image.  
The second guy was… let's just say that calling him tall would be underestimating. He was at least 7 feet tall, slim, his arms long and his gloved hands huge.  
"Slim, huh?" – Casey thought – "a bit too much I'd say, he almost look like a... skeleton"

A shriek echoed as the girl fell on her back. Ignoring the dull pain in her shoulder she kept gazing into the black opening in front of her. Her eyes wide in horror, her breath a mess of short gasps, her heart pounded in her chest and her mind went blank.  
A weak whimper escaped her lips and she crawled further back not looking away from the pure white figure that appeared on the other side of the crack.  
A long pale skull was far above her: teeth exposed, no lips, a turned heart shaped hole had replaced his nose. Two oval shaped holes were devoid of light, yet she knew he was staring at her.  
A short white top was covering his chest, but from the ground Casey could see few of his ribs clearly, a thick spine locked between them was revealed between his ribcage and hips with a long red scarf hanging from behind.  
The skeleton leaned his large body placing his hands on his knees.  
"Are you ok?" – He asked, concern present in his voice, but the girl didn't notice it – "you're not hurt are you?"  
Barely visible tears pricked in the corners her eyes, but disappeared the moment she felt a gush of warm air on her shoulder. She didn't need to look back to know that her friend was near. With her eyes still locked on his Casey slowly stood up and backed away, her palm tracing the horse's neck. She could see the skeleton's teeth part and shut as he obviously spoke to her, but she blocked off all sounds. In her blank mind was only a single thought, like a command controlling her ' _get out of here_ '.

With one swift movement the girl hopped onto the large creature and muttered a quite command. The horse's ears twitched slightly and in the next moment it turned towards a familiar path and darted away faster than anything the skeleton had seen before.

Numerous trees were passing by, wind gashing by her head muted every sound of the forest as the horse moved on its own accord. Memories of the recent incident were flooding Casey's mind, images of the tall creature still in front of her eyes.  
"It was a skeleton, it really was. Why was there a skeleton, why did it move or talk? Why was it alive…?" – Questions swirled in her mind – "What if it comes out? If I tell anyone they'll think I'm crazy. What do I do?"  
Her hand moved up and she gripped a silver cross hanging around her neck firmly.  
"God, please help me" – she prayed – "please guide me"  
Even if her future actions were uncertain for her, she knew she couldn't simply leave the matter. But for now, she only wanted to get home.

Lost in her own mind Casey didn't notice how much time had passed since she sat down in front of an empty canvas, staring blankly into it. Her mind kept repeating the images over and over for hours, each time coming up with different scenarios that could follow. The one currently lingering in her mind terrified her more than anything in the past.  
If they find a way out would they hurt anyone? Now that one of them saw her, would they hunt her?

The front door opened with a creak and the loud voice of Casey's mother filled the hallway as she greeted her daughter. The young girl, now free of her trance, stood up lazily and made her way to the entrance of her little studio, somehow knocking off a stool on her way. She was, kind of, relieved that her mom wasn't around to see her panicked state, it would've been complicated to explain the reason behind it, she'd probably blame it on her 'wild imagination'. Though she couldn't really blame her, she always used to see things that weren't there, getting scared of a shadow that looked like a man, or cloths that, in her mind, took a form of a large dog.

Casey let out a sigh and walked out – "hey, mom" – she greeted the woman that was slightly taller than herself. She had bright green eyes, long ginger hair and pale skin that never tanned, despite her constantly being outside. She was slim, with the most beautiful pear-shaped body, the warmest smile and voice. In Casey's eyes her mother was utter perfection both her appearance and personality, she always looked up to her, but never dreamed of getting close.

"Are you hungry, honey?" – Asked the woman – "I'm going to heat up some leftover chicken, you want some?"  
"Nah, I don't want any" – Casey shook her head looking down – "I'll just have some tea with something sweet. I'm not feeling too well"  
"What's wrong, did you catch a cold or something?"  
"Probably. It was a bit chilly in the morning. By the way… any news from dad?"  
"Not really, he's still working and doesn't know when he'll be back" – her mom spoke, she only nodded.  
They exchanged few more words while the kettle was on. Casey never liked to share most of her thoughts and emotions with even the closest of her friends, that included her parents too, as much as she loved them. Throughout the years she learned to hide her emotions quiet well and today wasn't any different: not a hint of her worries was visible.

With a nice, hot cup of green tea and a bar of chocolate Casey sat down in her neat little room staring at the mountain through wide window and light summer rain. Soon enough sun was hanging over the western horizon, its light dyeing the world fiery orange and the girl pulled the curtains close, she always hated the color of dawn.  
Turning on her PC she put on calming music and closed her eyes, trying to hush her troubled thoughts. After a while a picture of a glowing flower appeared in her mind: it was so beautiful, so peaceful she could watch it forever. A little smile made its way to her lips at that thought, but it soon faded into a frown of both confusion and sadness. If someone was to see her now they'd think she would cry any at second.  
"I forgot my sketches…" – she muttered, hurt and disbelief in her quite voice – "How could I? Stupid! Stupid!"

She clutched her hair with both hands trying her best to stay calm… more or less. She stood up walking back and forth in quickened pace, biting her nail as she did.  
"What do I do? What **can** I do? It must be next to that hole thingy, right where that sk... skeleton was… Oh, God, I'll never be able to retrieve it. What if it waits for me? What if it's already out?" – A tear ran down her face when she imagined the creature in front of her in full height. Since the ground of the cave was much lower she only saw half of his body, and that was enough to make her run without looking back.  
Unconsciously her hand traveled up and a single digit traced the cold metal on her chest: it calmed her down.  
"Ok, think rationally. Maybe it's gone, they walked there, which means they're not always around. I just need to sneak there, grab my sketchbook and run, simple. Who knows maybe he's even friendly…" – she froze for a moment – "yeah, no. I'm not sticking around to find out"

Last rays of sunlight drowned behind the horizon and dim twilight filled the air. It was almost 9pm when Casey felt her eyelids grow heavy as she cuddled in soft blanket, slowly falling asleep. Some of her "acquaintances" found that routine of her odd, some tried to explain or show her how fun it can be in the evening, or during parties that lasted till midnight or longer: another reason to never talk about herself.  
It wasn't long before reality began to fade and, despite her anxiety during the day, she soon entered an undisturbed sleep.

It was still dark outside when Casey woke up. After staring blankly at the ceiling she was ready to fight another day, so she locked herself in her studio with a bowl of chocolate cereal.  
Leaning on the door she stared out of the window. On the other side there was Mt. Ebott cloaked in mist. No matter how beautiful it looked, at that moment she hated it for the amount of stress it made her go through, she hated that stupid earthquake that opened a window to a nightmare and she hated the part of her that panicked over that smallest of things.  
As the sky slowly turned from black to dark blue Casey sat motionless. Her eyebrows slanted, her mouth shifted into a frown moved slowly as she slowly munched on her breakfast.

About half an hour later she was, once again, riding her horse up the hill, this time much slower. Honestly speaking, if she had a choice between going there again and jumping into boiling lava, she'd take a dive head-first, though that feeling was gradually getting weaker. Casey knew it would bother her for the longest time if she gave up now and she was perfectly fine with not losing sleep over something that, potentially, could be harmless.  
Looking up in the sky she let out a sigh – "I can't go on like this, I need to be braver" – she thought.

The sun was already peaking from behind the horizon, cold wind was spreading sweet scent of mountain flowers, birds began to chirp all around the girl: it was peaceful even when her destination grew closer.  
Finding the way was easy, the rest wasn't any harder: just look out for giant skeletons and a sketchbook with few months' worth of work in it… that would be fun.  
On the way she kept staring into distance, almost like a prey looking out for a predator, her grip, not even for a second, loosening on the rein.  
With a soft tug the horse slowed its pace when an all too familiar scene caught the girl's attention. An opening in a cliff her curiosity brought her to the day before, still calm and dim, it carelessly revealed what lied on the other side.

Casey tugged the leather strip in her hands to the right, making her mount walk further away from the cliff in an arc. Once in a comfortable position she looked inside. There, under bright rays of morning sun, leaning against the far cavern wall sat… it.  
She could never forget that shape: long bones forming its body were too thick for a human, joints as if glued together created a firm structure, yet could stretch ad bend freely. A weird looking white shirt with puffy half sleeves covered his chest and a blood red scarf: his neck. His, now visible, legs were cloaked in black cloth, blue shorts on top of it and long red boots completed the weird outfit of the creature.  
"Is he cosplaying someone?" – Casey thought then shook her head remembering what was in front of her.  
In large red winter gloves the creature held something. He seemed to be reading a book as he continuously stared at white pages. Turning one he let out a small "heh" and… smiled? Somehow he looked happier even though nothing on his face changed.

Casey flinched when the creature raised its head, his pitch black eye sockets fixing on her. For a moment she looked around as if searching for a way to get away, but held herself back muttering a quiet "I can do this" that no one else heard.  
"Hello, human!" – The skeleton said standing up, as faint orange hue covered his cheekbones – "I'm sorry I startled you yesterday. My brother said humans are not used to seeing _awesome_ skeletons like me, is that true?"  
He exaggerated the word "awesome" taking a heroic pose, with his question he cracked open on an eye socket waiting for the girl in front of him to respond. After short hesitation she slowly nodded and the skeleton stepped closer with a beaming smile. For a moment Casey tensed up, before making herself to calm down.  
"I'm glad you decided to return, you left this behind" – he said showing what was in his hand.  
Casey's eyes widened at the sight. Well… she found her sketchbook.  
"How did you get it?" – She blurted out – "I thought I left it pretty far away"  
"A stick helped us"  
"A stick?"  
"Yes…" – the skeleton's hand rose, while the rest of his body remained motionless, holding up a long dry stick with a crooked end – "because, you see, it was about to rain, so we thought it would be better to keep this inside"  
He looked down at the object as he spoke, then held it forth, just far enough through the crack for her to be able to grab. Despite his friendly attitude, Casey was still suspicious of him… she'd probably bet all her money that this was a trap, if given the chance. But she couldn't bring herself to miss this opportunity.

Letting out a shaky breath she went closer, her plan was to get the hell out of there if something felt off. The skeleton, on the other hand, didn't move, only watched her with patience.  
When close enough she reached out, she could hear her heart pound in her chest, but she chose to ignore it. Moments felt like eternity, as if time slowed down to give her a chance to reconsider, a chance she almost took.  
"Calm down, you can do this, it's ok" – she kept repeating in her mind.  
The moment her fingers traced the old beige cover, locking around its edge the tall creature let go, seemingly proud of himself.  
"Thank you" – Casey muttered – "I was worried I… lost it"  
"There was no need for that, for I, the Great Papyrus, would have never let such a tragedy to occur"  
He struck another pose, calm wind rushing by his side blew at a perfect time raising the red scarf like some kind of superhero cape, the only thing left to complete the image were sparkles around his form.  
A quiet chuckle escaped the girl's lips followed with a gasp as she covered it with one hand. Her eyes pinned to his for a moment: would he be angry with her? But he only smiled, somehow it warmed her heart.

"Papyrus, huh? Is… Is that your name?" – The girl asked shyly in an attempt to break the awkward silence.  
"Why, of course, and you are?"  
"Casey"  
"Nice to meet you, human Casey" – he greeted politely, bowing his head slightly – "you know, you're the first human I've seen"  
"Really?" – She said a bit louder looking around – "well, I guess this place **is** isolated"  
"By the way, did you draw all that?" – Papyrus pointed at Casey's hand and she nodded – "Is that all surface?"  
"Mainly, yeah" – she said assuming that "surface" was the world outside their little cave – "But there are also things that I imagined… umm, Papyrus, do you mind if I draw you?"  
"Wowie! I didn't think I'd become this popular so quickly. What should I do, human Casey?"  
"Just stand there, however you'd like" – she answered getting off of her horse and sat down on grass.

Like a kid in a candy store, Papyrus looked overexcited and for good ten minutes moved constantly trying to find "the perfect pose that will reflect his inner self". In the end he froze like a bodybuilder showing off his muscles: an odd choice for someone who had none.  
It took Casey about an hour to finish few rough sketches and one more detailed one. Each time she looked up from her work Papyrus looked a bit more impatient, in the end she had to constantly ask questions to keep him distracted.  
Their chat continued even after she was done, it was fun and refreshing and time passed without neither of them noticing. The way he behaved and talked, the way he formed his thoughts and the words ho chose, his entire being emitted sweet innocence, just like a little boy. Casey mentally scolded herself for acting the way she did, for hastily jumping to conclusions.

"Well, I've finished a while ago. Wanna see?" – She asked. Papyrus got closer and she turned the image towards him.  
"Wowie, you're really talented!" – He almost yelled making faint blush appear on girl's cheeks – "can I have it?"  
Casey froze for a moment, before coming to her senses – "that's new" – she thought. Then nodded and gently tearing the page out handed it to the skeleton.

Noticing something on the ground Casey turned around: the sun was almost above her head, it wasn't long before noon.  
"Is it this late already?" – She mumbled to herself getting up as she watched the large creature in the cave silently observe the piece of paper in his hand – "I'm sorry, Papyrus, but I have to go now"  
As her voice echoed in the dark cave the skeleton looked up at the human tilting his head.  
"Already?" He asked, a hint of sadness present in his tone – "we barely even talked"  
"I know, but I still have work to do back home"  
"Hmm… you should visit later than" – he smiled – "when you have more time"  
"Definitely" – she promised getting on the horse that moved closer the moment she called – "It was nice to meet you"  
Papyrus nodded watching the girl disappear from his gaze.

Wind rushed by her as they moved down the hill, through familiar areas, over well-known paths. Casey felt excitement and happiness build up in her chest: she loved the speed, loved the wind. But even that couldn't take her mind off of the unexpected events that had occurred leaving confusion linger in her mind.  
She met a skeleton: a leaving, breathing, quite enthusiastic skeleton that liked her art. If she told that to anyone she'd, probably, get locked in a mental hospital the next day. And if that wasn't enough she befriended him and promised to meet again.  
She couldn't help but wonder if that was the right thing to do. Sure he was sweet and nice, though a bit loud Casey found herself enjoying his company. He seemed like a type of friend she always wanted to have: sincere, understanding, not judging, someone she could share her thoughts with, without a worry. Though this was only her first impression of him, she wanted to believe it was true.

A wide smile crept on her face as thoughts of him swirled in her mind, followed by a quiet, but happy laughter.  
"I'm definitely going there again!"


	2. Dreams

_A quiet rustle echoes in the cave travelling out with the wind into a field outside. The young girl knew that sound too well, her head bolted up and, moving away from the cliff she was leaning against, she sat on her knees in front of a wide crack. Her heart jumped with joy when she spotted him in front of her. A wide smile placed itself on her lips as she opened her mouth to speak, but not a sound could be heard. Something felt off, very off.  
An eerie aura surrounded him, his usual smile seemed dreadful, strange dust was visible on sleeves of his jacket, his shirt, shorts and slippers, some was stuck in the fur of his hood that was covering his eyes with a looming shadow.  
" ****…" – She called his name. It came out as a low screeching noise, yet she didn't seem to notice – "what's wrong, where's Papyrus?" – She asked without looking around, she knew he wasn't there.  
A low mocking chuckle escaped his throat and in an instant he was right in front of her – "wanna see?"  
His rough voice sounded as he shrugged moving his arm to his left as if allowing her to pass. _

_" ****…" – another trembling screech sounded as she fought tears that were blurring his image. She hated seeing him like that. Whatever happened scared her, she wanted it to go away. Her heart ached at thought of him or Papyrus getting hurt and this… this was a clue of something even more terrifying.  
Her arm reached into the cave, her palm gently tracing his cheek, as she desperately tried to comfort him. It felt like he'd break if she didn't. But her hand jolted back for a moment when she saw his grin widen in a twisted, creepy way and felt his gaze on her more intensely before a cold hand wrapped itself around her wrist. In a split second she was pulled forward with an incredible force, but her body never made contact with the ground, like she thought it would, instead her back crushed into an uneven stone sending waves of strong pain through her body. Opening her eyes she found herself locked between a cavern wall and him, his hands resting calmly on her either sides. _

_"I wonder, what will happen if I take a human Soul now?" – He asked calmly, his gaze fixed on her, yet distant as if he was talking to himself.  
She looked up to meet what his hood was successfully hiding before. In dark vastness two scarlet lights with a hint of purple in one, stared back at her smaller, trembling self. What had happened to him? What could she do to make things better? Questions clouded her mind and before she realized it her body moved on its own. Slowly raising her arms she carefully held his head pulling him closer, he raised a brow curiously examining her movements, but didn't stop her in any way.  
"Whatever happened, tell me, I'll help with anything I can…" – she spoke gathering her thoughts – "just please, please come back to me" – her weak voice whispered making warm tears fall faster.  
"Anything?" – He repeated wrapping his arms around her frame – "thank you"_

 _Her body arched back as a sharp pain pierced her waist and neck, her grip tightening on soft fabric. Her eyes moved in a quickened pace as panic overwhelmed her senses and she tried to find something familiar before locking with scarlet orbs once again. Her mouth opened up as she tried to speak, but only a quiet whimper found its way out._

 _Her vision blurred slowly until finally darkness swallowed her. Far in the distance a quiet laughter echoed._

Casey's eyes shot open as she gasped for air.  
"Nightmare?" – She half-whispered – "such a vivid one…"  
She scratched the back of her head snuggling more comfortably in her blanket. A soft breeze gashing through a half open window casted all the bad thoughts away. Chirping of few birds could be heard so close to her, if felt peaceful and calm, exactly what she needed. She closed her eyes relaxing her muscles, strangely enough she could still feel where she was stabbed in the nightmare. A weird sensation she knew her mind made up.

"Honey, are you awake?" – Her mom's voice sounded from the other side of the room's door after a loud knock.  
"Yeah, mom. What's up?"  
"The ceiling" – the woman answered growing silent right after, waiting for a response. After a short pause she heard her daughter sigh.  
After few more seconds footsteps echoed and the door opened revealing half-asleep Casey: nightmare of a bird's nest for her hair, her pajama was a clutter of unidentified matter revealing both her belly and shoulder. She looked at her mother with half-closed dead eyes, lazily scratching her butt.  
"Oh my, you look like a homeless lady that ran away from a nuclear blast, honey"  
"Thanks"  
"So I'm going to the town for a while, you want anything"  
"Tea, please"  
"Ok, but that's not why I came here"  
"Mhmm" – Casey muttered. _Of course it wasn't_.  
"Please take care of the house while I'm gone, we're going to have guests today" – her voice was gradually getting further and quieter as she walked towards the front door.  
"Will do… Wait guests? When?"  
"Evening, around seven or eight. Bye-bye"

The door shut closed and Casey was left alone in the house. She shook her head getting back into her room and sat down on the bed. Unfolding a piece of paper from her nightstand she stared at it, rereading the small note scribbled on it in a messy handwriting.  
"In two days" – she mumbled under her breath – "and why did Papyrus have to choose today? Or why did the guests have to choose today? Whoever they are I hope they wouldn't be too upset if I'm late"

After zoning out for a little bit more Casey finally got up. Changing her appearance from a deformed witch to a regular human being didn't take long: taking a shower she put on a red plaid sleeveless hoodie and dark blue slim pants. Soon after she was in front of her PC in a company with her breakfast and a random movie she found online.  
The entirely of next couple of hours she, unwillingly and lazily, dedicated to feeding the few animals they had in their little farm and cleaning the house, which, to her great delight, was already mainly clean and neat.

As the sun made its way through the sky, wind carried few stray clouds along, casting shadowy forms among the green of the earth. Bathing in warm rays of gold a young girl made her way to high cliffs of Mt. Ebott, excited to meet her new friend once again. There was so much she wanted to ask and double as much to tell: if he's never seen the world she wanted to show him. Thinking back at his excited rambling made a warm smile appear on her face.  
It's been little over a week and, although she met Papyrus only once, she already missed him. Maybe it simply was the childish side within her waking up with a thrill of meeting someone new. She didn't know for sure, but was happy they met.

A quiet hum escaped her small smile, muted by the gushing wind. It soon grew to none when far, barely audible voices reached the girl's ears. One was too familiar and unique to ever mistake for any other: Papyrus, the other she recognized as the deep voice from her first visit. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but Papyrus sounded annoyed, while the other guy was laughing his ass off. That kind of sounded nice: the laughter.  
Papyrus told her a bit about him, his only brother and family. According to him his brother was kind, caring, liked to joke a lot, which for some reason Papyrus hated and, above all, was very lazy. Casey never said how much she related to that last part, never wanted to break his nonexistent heart.

"Stop it!" – Papyrus' voice sounded a lot clearer – "she can be here any minute, what if she heard you?"  
"You mean herd?"  
"That's not even funny!" – A desperate cry echoed.  
"pfff" – Casey couldn't help herself. His reaction alone was worth telling every joke that existed, no matter how bad.  
But she quickly took a more serious expression – "I shouldn't laugh, Papyrus wouldn't like it. Well he is with his older brother, so I guess I'll show that I don't dislike his jokes. Yeah I'll act like an adult, that would be good for the first meeting"  
"What's that sound?" – Papyrus' voice broke her from her thoughts and she got off of her horse to continue her way on foot, in a quickened pace.  
A bright smile covered her lips when her eyes rested on her friend – "That's Cinis, my close friend" – she said holding her arm out to the side that was soon covered by a large grey head as the girl rubbed its neck – "you wanna pet him? He's really gentle"  
"I… I can't" – a response followed, Papyrus' voice quiet.  
"Don't worry, he's harmless" – she smiled looking back at him. She cooed he head to the side in curiosity when the skeleton seemed discouraged – "Papyrus, what's wrong?"  
"You see, there's a barrier around this place" – he said reaching out to the crack.  
He didn't move it beyond one point, a weak trembling was barely noticeable when he tried to push, air shaking violently around his palm – "anything can come through, but nothing can leave"

A short silence fell between them, Casey couldn't help but feel guilty for asking. It felt like she made him sad, even though she knew that wasn't true.  
"Hold on" – she smiled once again when an idea came to mind. Turning around she disappeared between the trees, soon after that the sound of her footsteps vanished too leaving complete emptiness behind.  
It was, at least, ten minutes before she was back, breathing somewhat heavy, a handful of herbs and flowers in her grasp. When in front of the gap she called for her companion, once at his full attention she waved the treat above her head then sticking her arm through the opening stretched it as far as she could. Within few moments the creature's head was already past the point of the barrier, nipping on the herbs slowly.  
"Now you can" – Casey breathed out watching Papyrus' shocked expression – "what are you waiting for? Pet him while he's eating"  
"Are you sure it's safe?" – Asked the deep voice somewhere from darkness.  
"I'm sure. Cinis is the nicest horse you'll see, there's absolutely no danger. Besides Papyrus is literally made of bones, there's no way for him to bite or hurt your brother in any way"

Hesitantly the tall skeleton took a step forward placing his large hand on the animal. While he stoked the creature in complete awe, Casey tried her best to spot the mysterious brother Papyrus was talking so much of, but despite her best effort couldn't find the guy anywhere.

"There he goes…" – Casey muttered almost to herself after her hand was empty and she let her horse roam.  
"Wowie, I've never seen anything like that before. Thank you, human Casey" – Papyrus said a bit louder than usually and, before getting any kind of response, turned his head to the shadows – "see? I told you she was nice"  
"Yap, sorry I didn't believe you, bro" – the voice stated getting closer slowly – "guess I should introduce myself, eh? The name's Sans, Sans the skeleton"  
The guy, now bathing in warm golden sunlight, winked at her. Though it made Casey slightly uncomfortable, she didn't avert her gaze and took this chance to examine him thoroughly.

He had an average height, though his body looked larger than of most humans she'd met. His head war round, with a wide, calm grin that seemingly never faded. In the middle of his eye sockets calmly floated bright white pins, like fireflies.  
He was wearing a plain black shirt underneath a cozy looking sky-blue jacket with fur lined hood, black pants and pink fluffy slippers. Strange enough he looked chubby, not exactly typical for a skeleton, but a fact she couldn't overlook.

She stared at him for a bit, her mind rapidly trying to force the fading vision unveil. Her instincts we demanding to stay away from him as her memories flooded her consciousness.

* * *

 _The deed was done, the last monster fell: a small price to pay for so much power, there was no need to feel bad to begin with.  
"What do ya say we do now, Pap?" – A cheery voice echoed in complete emptiness of the waterfall and the voice in his head answered him.  
"Casey will be waiting for us today, we shouldn't miss our meeting. She's a weak human, but she'll prove useful"  
His smile widened and a playful chuckle erupted from his chest. For a moment he stopped, his magic glowing brightly in his left eye was in constant battle with the newfound LOVE and determination for domination. Blue and red were flashing in order, overlapping each other or swirling like a storm, unable to stop. Until finally it calmed glowing faint purple, allowing him to regain control over his magic: taking a step forward he moved to where she was. _

_Moments later he saw her smaller figure. Her form was covered in haze, yet he could see her cheerful smile, bright like the sunlight surrounding her. Her faded voice soon shifted to confusion then worry as she called his name.  
"Where's Papyrus?" – She asked.  
"Hear that, bro?" – His mind questioned in amusement – "she wants to see you"  
"Then let's show her" – the voice in his head responded.  
He chuckled taking a shortcut to her – "wanna see?" – He bowed his head slightly, guiding the way with a stretched out arm.  
Another dim echo of his name sounded as she reached inside, her fingers tracing his features.  
"Now's your chance" – the voice whispered to him – "she's vulnerable"  
_ _ **What a naïve girl**_

 _Grabbing her wrist he took a step back and pulled. With almost no resistance her Soul was inside the barrier, within his grasp. A drop of blood caught his eye in a fresh wound that, probably, a sharp rock opened. So exciting.  
Catching her mid-air with his free hand he slammed her body against a wall. Now she was closer to him than ever, entirely at his mercy, he liked that feeling. He calmly observed as her hands moved up, pulling him closer to her neck.  
"Whatever happened, tell me, I'll help with anything I can… Just please, please come back to me" – her voice, weaker than ever pleaded making his Soul sting for a split second.  
"Anything?" – He repeated wrapping his arms around her waist and the voice in his head laughed.  
"Thank you" – he whispered in her ear watching a pure white bone form in front of him._

Sans' eyes slowly opened, but he didn't move: another nightmare. He groaned mentally, feeling sick of these constant ordeals. It would've helped if he remembered more than only few of them. Rising his hand above his head he stared as it trembled softly.  
"The hell did I see?" – He muttered under his breath – "it was a human wasn't it? Why is it always a human? They don't even scare me"

Letting out a sigh he closed his eyes again. Even if for a short while he wanted to sleep again or, at least, rest his mind, before Papyrus forces him to travel all the way to the gap. Normally he wouldn't mind, but to go there for a human didn't excite him in the slightest, becoming friends with one wasn't on his bucket list either.  
"What's so great about her anyway?" – He groaned – "just another selfish asshole that will stab us in the back" – his mumbling continued for a while longer, before a voice from downstairs yelling something about breakfast.  
He wasn't really hungry, so lying a while longer wouldn't hurt or change much. Shifting in bed he found a comfortable position and doze off.

"..ns? Sans!" – Papyrus' voice sounded in the small room echoing from walls – "spaghetti's already getting cold, you should eat before we go. The human will be waiting for us"  
"Ok, ok, I'm up" – Sans grumbled as he sat up, his legs dangling from the edge of the bed – "Just let me change and we'll spagett going"  
His brother only sighed rubbing his nose, or the area where it should've been, earning a quiet chuckle from him.  
"By the way" – he continued taking a more serious tone – "what do you mean "she'll be waiting for us"? I'm not sticking around a human and, frankly, you shouldn't either"  
"Yes you are, brother. And I'm telling you, that human is my friend, she would never hurt me"  
"How many humans have you seen before?" – Sans' voice turned serious and, in a way, scolding. He preferred not to talk to Papyrus that way, but this time the situation was dangerous. If Sans could convince him to stay away, it was worth it.  
"Only Casey" – the tall skeleton answered, tilting his head in confusion.  
"In that case, since when do you know how humans behave?"  
"You don't either" – Papyrus said quietly – "you haven't seen one yourself"

Silence hung over them and after a while Papyrus exited the room saying he'll wait downstairs. Sans had no idea how to argue with that. He has seen humans before, he had met few, he had killed few and he hated all of them. Selfish, egotistical creatures with a façade of kindness that disappeared in a flash once their opponent was deceived, some were cruel, others killed calling it a self-defense: those were the humans and Sans knew better than to trust any of them.  
He knew all that, yet couldn't tell anything to his brother. He had no other choice, but to find another way to deal with the situation.

In a short while they stepped into the town. It was currently empty with only one guy around, as the massive ice cubes floating down the river evidenced. Once far enough in Waterfall caverns Sans stopped looking up at his brother.  
"Ready?" – He asked holding out his hand. As soon as he felt a gloved hand in his own he looked ahead taking a step forward.  
For a moment everything went black, all sounds died away: the water, the wind, his own breath were nothing but dead silence. As the moment passed and the scenery changed they found themselves in yet another cave, dark and empty. Narrow black path in front of them, deep dark water behind. Only few feet away bright golden light poured in. The moment his gaze rested on warm rays his Soul calmed as if was waiting for it.

Without thinking about it he took few steps and sat down under sunlight, leaning against a cavern wall and his smile widened slightly.

"You really like it here" – Papyrus' voice spoke as he sat down next to his brother – "and to think you refused to come"  
"Hey, I like the sun, what I don't like is your 'friend'. You might think that humans have changed, but they're still the same, even after all these years"  
"Still demons without mercy" – he continued in his mind.  
"You're exaggerating, Sans. I'm sure you'll like Casey when you meet her"  
"I wish I was and I highly doubt it"  
He looked outside as he muttered those words, though Papyrus didn't seem to have heard and kept rambling about the human, Undyne and the Royal Guard. Sans blocked most of it letting himself get completely absorbed in sensations still not familiar to him.  
Strange sweet scent gushed in with the wind, fading in a heartbeat. He could see few trees in the distance, their leaves moving slowly in gentle wind. Through branches he saw the sun: a beautiful golden orb far in the sky. For reasons unknown to him it made him feel helpless and small, but he didn't hate it, subconsciously he welcomed it as part of something greater and infinitely stronger then himself.

"… and Undyne specifically said beans" – Paprus' voice echoed slightly louder bringing Sans back to reality – "but you know I don't like them, so now I don't know what to use instead"  
"Ya know, I've bean thinking about it, but carrot come up with any replacement"  
"Sans, please…"  
"Lettuce think about it when we're home"  
"Sans!"  
"What? You sound like you don't wanna figure out the pearfect recipe"  
"Sans, I swear"  
"Bro, this is your one in a melon chance to impress Undyne. Ya don't wanna miss it"  
"Stop it!" – Papyrus' eye twitched as he yelled – "she can get here any minute, what if she heard?"  
Sans didn't even try to hide his amusement, laughing harder with each word.  
"You mean herd?" – He breathed out between little chuckles wiping away tears just for new ones to fall.  
"That's not even funny!" – His brother yelled burying his face in his palms in defeat.

Their voices got quitter then vanished when a strange sound became clearer, a clattering noise Sans thought he had heard before, but couldn't recall: too soft for metal, too heavy for footsteps, yet rhythmical like a human's heartbeat. He stared outside, waiting to get a glimpse of whatever it was.  
"What's that sound?" – His brother asked as they both stood up.  
Papyrus stepped closer to the gap, while Sans walked back into the shadow, his hand hanging by his side ready to unleash the suppressed magic if danger was to bestow upon his brother.  
Sans saw the tall skeleton's face light up and heard a voice. A crystal clear, soft voice of, evidently, young woman. He heard her talk, but the words weren't clear as he concentrated solely on her voice waiting for it to hint at her ill intent, but it remained innocent and beautiful.  
It suddenly stopped snapping Sans out of his daze. Regaining his senses he opened his eyes looking forward: Papyrus looked down, sad even.  
"The hell did she tell him?" – Sans' mind raged, his eyes darkening.  
He wanted to talk to his brother, but held himself back. If this goes on long enough it might work in his favor, he might be able to finally convince Papyrus to stay away from that human, to prove that they don't possess anything positive.

But what came next startled him enough for all those thoughts to disappear. He jumped back a little when a delicate looking arm entered the dark cave. Green plants, as well as few white, purple and yellow flowers in the stretched out hand were long past the barrier. Soon after a large grey head of an animal followed inside.  
"Kinda looks like Aaron…" – he thought raising a brow bone.  
"Now you can" – her soft voice echoed again – "what are you standing there for? Pet him while he's eating"  
"Wait, pet **that thing**? Is she insane?" – Sans thought.  
"Are you sure it's safe?" – He scoffed staring at the animal. It looked dangerous, the sheer size of it couldn't let him trust any movement it made.  
 _No wonder humans get along so well with something like that._

"I'm sure. Cinis is the nicest horse you'll see, there's absolutely no danger. Besides Papyrus is literally made of bones, there's no way for him to bite or hurt your brother in any way" – her voice answered. He could tell she was smiling.  
Sans watched carefully as his brother stepped closer and reached out to the thing, it didn't flinch at the touch. Strangely enough he thought the creature was watching him instead.  
When it was over and, both the creature and the human's arm, were out he heard his brother's excited voice, before he looked at Sans.  
"See, I told you she was nice" – he yelled looking proud of his friend.  
"Yep, sorry I didn't believe you, bro" – he said calmly shifting his gaze to the crack as he began walking towards it in an arc – "guess I should introduce myself, eh? The name's Sans, Sans the skeleton"  
He winked at the girl as he stood in the light, but she only stared at him. He took the time to examine her in turn.

She was a couple of inches shorter then himself, around 5'3" with slightly plump hour-glass figure. Her skin was of olive color, her short, wavy chocolate hair shone with gold under bright rays. But what interested him the most were her eyes, he took a step closer to take a better look: she had a pair of large almond shaped hazel eyes with a large brown spot in her left one. He'd never seen anything like that before, needless to say it piqued his curiosity quite a bit.  
With another step he noticed her eyes traveling in all directions before resting on him once more. Sans chuckled under his breath at the thought of her feeling uncomfortable. Plump lips on her small mouth curved a small smile at his approach, but he only raised a brow at that not even trying to hide his annoyance.  
She sat down watching him with no visible fear or concern and that pissed him off even more, but he knew he couldn't do anything, not while Papyrus was around. But that was fine, for now he could use her. He could get rid of her weak Soul after she had nothing left to offer.

Just like in that dream.

A/N  
I intended this to be a cute, innocent story. Just saying


	3. Agreement

That was him, she knew that was, she recognized the man from her nightmare, remembered his name upon hearing it. But how could it be possible? Though she noticed some of his clothes and silhouette the first time, she never saw his eyes. The floating lights in his eye sockets were of different color, but were prasent in her dream. Scarlet lights looking down at her weren't something she could've guessed existed.  
And his name, she learned it only now, but she was certain it was the name her dream self spoke, thinking back she could hear it clearly.

Coming to her senses she realized that their eyes were still locked and he was getting closer, dislike and mistrust evident on his face. Her heart picked up pace, restless thoughts flooded her mind: _what does he want? What is he trying to do? He's clearly dangerous, I should stay away, far away_.  
Casey nervously glanced around trying her best not to look at Sans, secretly hoping he'd vanish. For a moment her eyes stopped at Papyrus. Now standing a couple of steps away he gave her a bright smile and a little nod, that was enough to reassure her.  
" _He's right_ " – Casey thought, calming down immensely – " _he can't do anything to me. No, he_ _ **wouldn't**_ _, I should think positively. I have no idea what that nightmare was, but I'm sure there's an explanation to it_ "  
Bracing herself mentally she looked back at the shorter skeleton that now was only few steps away. Locking her eyes with his she forced the most sincere smile she could master. And it seemed to have worked: his features, though irate at first, soon calmed, his eyes softened as he stopped in front of the gap.

"So, ya got a name?" – He asked holding his hand for her to shake.  
" _I don't understand him. He was calm then angry, now he's acting nice. I can tell he doesn't like me, but maybe he's trying to? He can't be that bad, right? Right, I should give him a chance, at least for Papyrus_ " – thoughts flashed in her mind as she glanced at Papyrus for moral support.  
"I'm Casey" – she said taking Sans' hand.  
For a while she couldn't help but stare at it. Smooth, white bones were cold, but not unpleasant at touch, pure white matter connecting them was tough, yet her hand wasn't uncomfortable, didn't hurt despite his strong hold. It was strangely comforting.  
It was amazing how she could see his skeletal hand clearly: every single bone in it, yet the parts in between made it look quite similar to a human hand with muscles and skin.  
"Peased to meet you" – Sans' voice broke her from her seemingly endless haze.  
He winked at her and his smirk twitched upwards slightly, as if waiting for her to show disgust or annoyance: towards him more than his puns. In fact he was certain she would, everyone did, but Casey only smiled wider, then a soft chuckle followed.  
"Likewise" – she breathed out.

"So… I get that I'm attractive an' all, but could ya let go?"  
The girl immediately loosed her grip around his hand, nervously rolling a small rock through grass, that she just dug out of the soil – " _This is so awkward. I'm too careless, toooo careless, I need to be less of that."_  
"I'm sorry" – she quickly apologized – "I was just curious"  
"About his hand?" – Papyrus asked raising a brow, somehow.  
"Yeah" – she nodded feeling blessed that he spoke, allowing her to escape the uncomfortable situation – "because it's a bit different from human skeleton"  
"Human skeleton? What do you mean?" – He looked confused, as if she said something alien.  
"Well yeah, we don't have… those parts" – she pointed at Sans' pocket, where his hand was now stuffed in – "I assume that's also bone. You see, our bones go from here straight to here" – she held one hand up pointing at the tip of her finger tracing all the way down to her wrist. She paused narrowing her eyes when she saw her friend dumbfounded, his jaws parted in disbelief as he stared at her – "umm, Papyrus what's wrong?"  
"He didn't know humans have skeletons in 'em" – Sans said in, somewhat, tired voice covering his eyes with a palm.  
"Well, now you do" – she looked back at Papyrus, who was staring at his hands as if was seeing them for the first time – "humans are, basically, skeletons with some… extra stuff"

Silence hung over them. Papyrus, still motionless, was staring at nothing in particular in dark distance, his expression shifting every so often. Sans was glaring at the girl in front of him, tapping his foot in irritation, while she was playing with the fabric of her hoodie, rethinking her life choices.  
"How many of you are there?" – Casey finally spoke up trying to distract both the guys and herself – "you're not alone in there, are you?"  
"No, of course not. There are plenty of other monsters in the Underground" – the tall skeleton stepped closer as he spoke, apparently forgetting about everything prior.  
"Really? What kind of monsters?"

As Papyrus began his lecture Casey sighed in relief, it seems like she was able to distract him.  
He went on and on about a fish-lady monster that was his closest friend after Sans. In Casey's mind she, at first, took a form of a mermaid, then a woman with fish head. But with more details her mind created an image of a slim, tall woman with, more or less human features, sharp teeth and long red ponytail, scales on her body: darkish blue. According to Papyrus she trained him almost every day, so he could enter the Royal Guard under her command. Though he already saw her as his boss.  
Next on his list was the king: the strongest monster in the Undergroud, also known as a "big fuzzy pushover" that everyone loved. That didn't seem too accurate for her, but Casey decided not to question it, not yet at least. The king was a large creature covered in white fur, had long, crooked horns and loved tea: definitely not something you'd see every day.  
In between his descriptions Papyrus couldn't hold himself back from rambling about monsters he didn't know that well, but whom he met occasionally. Some were creatures every human knew quiet well: bears, bunnies, wolves or dogs. Others were obscure, as if came out of someone's imagination, though the only one he could describe well enough was a fire-guy, whose bar Sans liked to visit.

The two friends soon lost the track of time as the enthusiastic skeleton talked endlessly, the girl only commented once in a while, to simply let him know she was listening. But after a while she was the one talking. Talking about the surface, different types of whether that weren't common in the region, different places of the world she visited, wanted to see or simply knew of. But most of all she talked about humans, how plain and similar they looked compared to monsters and how different their dreams and hearts were.

It was long past noon when a ringtone interrupted their chat. A loud female voice sounded from the other end, muffled by the tall skeleton's skull. He yelled a couple of 'yes's in response before hanging up.  
"Looks like I have to go now" – Papyrus said turning back to Casey – "Undyne needs my help with something"  
"Sure" – she smiled – "we'll met again later"  
A low sound similar to a growl echoed from somewhere close and she tensed up. Looking in that direction she met Sans' glare, she felt like he was judging her for a serious crime.  
" _How the heck did I forget about him_?" – She thought giving him a sweet innocent smile – " _Was he here the whole time? And where did he get that book, did he go back for it? Oh God for how long did we ignore him_?"

"C'mon, Pap, I'll take you back" – he walked up to his brother, without breaking his gaze from the human. But his eyes softened once again the moment his brother took his stretched out hand.  
Waving a goodbye to Papyrus she watched him disappear.  
"What the…" – Casey mumbled both amazed and shocked – "this is a joke, right?"

For a while she stared into nothingness, half-expecting them to come out of shadows, to laugh and joke about their prank, but the space remained empty. Leaning against the edges of the cliff she peeked inside looking to her right, where the path led to the water: nothing, there wasn't anyone as far as eye could see.  
A quite sound reached her ear, barely audible it made her question if there even was any. She listened carefully trying to hear it again, but the silence was unbreakable… for a while. The sound soon repeated, this time slightly louder and so close to her like a sneaky footstep.  
Her eyes darted to her left, wide in panic as she pulled her head back, but something stopped her, it took her few seconds to realize what it was.

Sans was once again standing in front of her, floating white lights calmly gazing at her, a cold smirk had replaced the lazy grin she last saw him with. One of his hands was resting in his pocket, while the other one was reaching for her, cold fingers locked around her throat roughly.  
She tried to pull back, to set herself free, but with her every move he gripped her tighter dragging his arm back until she could barely hold on. An inch closer and her chest would cross the barrier, as well as her Soul.  
She did her best to stay motionless, few tears ran down her face that she wasn't able to hold back. Her hands were trembling lightly as she tried to hold on, digging her fingers in every crook she could feel.

"What do you want?" – She forced out in a trembling voice as the images from the nightmare appeared in front of her eyes.  
"Glad you asked" – Sans chuckled leaning on one leg casually – "how about you stay the fuck away from us? I'm not a fan of you hurting my brother"  
"Why would I? He's my friend" – she protested – "my only friend"  
"I don't believe you. You let us down once before and it will happen again, humans don't change"  
"I don't know what you're talking about. I… I didn't do anything. Sans, please let me go"  
"And what would I get in return?"  
"What… do you want?" – Casey asked opening her tightly shut eyes.  
"Your Soul would be nice, but Pap wouldn't like that" – he muttered as if talking to himself and his focus drifted from her. His grip loosened, but she didn't dare to move.  
Few minutes passed feeling like hours. Not even for a second did she avert her gaze from the figure in front of her, watching him carefully. His smile widened or dropped slightly, lights in his eye sockets going on and off, dimming or brightening, seemingly, with ever thought. She felt his finger rubbing her neck gently.  
 _* Probably a habit of his_.  
A quiet chuckle escaped his mouth as he looked back at the girl.  
"I've got an idea" – he said and she nodded slowly – "get me information on humans"  
"What kind of information?"  
"Something about their bodies for now. Maybe something about all the… stuff you're made of"  
"I'll bring you few books in the morning" – Casey promised.

Sans let her go with a quiet, but harsh "good". She instantly pulled herself back sitting down further away, a trembling hand stroking he neck carefully. In few seconds she was on her feet, her horse by her side. She got on and throwing a glance at the, now empty, opening rode away.  
Not long after, she was by a spring near her path, washing the blood from small cuts on her palms. Ice cold water ran down her hands to her elbows pouring on her legs, but she didn't notice. Her heart already calmed, but the fear was present.  
 _"He wanted to hurt me, he really did"_ – her mind exclaimed – _"I can't trust him. I won't even try to communicate with him, he's too scary, too scary. Maybe I should tell Papyrus, he'll help, wouldn't he?"_

Shaking her head she returned her mind to reality and turning around trailed back to where the path and her mount were.

In about an hour she was in the small town of Ebott, leaving Cinis in stables by the main gates.  
Though their house wasn't close to it, she knew the town quiet well. Her school was in the heart of it and she spent immense amount of time there with her friends as a kid. She could easily navigate through narrow alleyways and old stone paths alongside narrow streets, between old, cozy houses.  
Since the summer break began she hardly ever entered the town, only a couple of times to help her mom with certain things or to visit church. Casey never hated it there, but preferred nature over any kind of human settlements.  
Quickly she made her way to the local library, hoping to find what Sans had asked for there.  
"Asked, right" – she muttered under her breath – "demanded more like"  
The girl pushed a large, heavy wooden door open, smell of paper and dust instantly filling her lungs. She didn't visit often, but library was one of few places she felt at peace. Rows of old wooden shelves on both sides of a large hall were filled with books, few old ones cold be seen among them, undisturbed for years.

Casey took her time to walk around, letting her fears melt to nothingness. It didn't require much for her to feel at ease again and in a bit she was ready to leave. Grabbing random books on biology and genetics she turned to the exit.  
"Papyrus might like this" – she smiled to herself when her eyes rested on an astronomy book. It wasn't anything special, didn't contain anything complicated in it. It was a book specifically about meteors and asteroids with a lot of picture, by the looks of it was meant for younger readers. Looking through it she let out a soft laugh – "this is perfect for someone who doesn't know meteors exist"

With three thick books in her arms Casey hurried back through the town, uncomfortably glancing around.  
"I don't wanna meet anyone. I don't wanna meet anyone" – she kept chanting under her breath as the mainly empty streets passed her by.  
She took the shortest route possible, carefully glancing around corners looking out for anyone she might know. While her classmates wouldn't have been much of a problem, she knew she wouldn't be able to explain her book choices to her mother and saying that those were for a skeleton that lived in a mountain wouldn't be wise. At one point sneaking through the town felt fun and adventurous for the girl, she forgot every worry in the world as if she was in a middle of a game with a friend. She almost felt sad when the stables came into view indicting the end.

She let out a mixture of an exhausted sigh and an angry groan remembering about their guests.  
"Mom didn't even say who they were" – she thought looking at darkening sky as Cinis walked back home – "I probably don't even know them"  
But after a while she didn't mind anymore. She would be happy for anything that could, for at least a day, take her mind off of Sans. Why he attacked she couldn't understand. She never provoked him, acted nice towards him and Papyrus, even helped his brother touch something from outside, something he was excited about.  
 _*So why was he so sure she would hurt them? And what did he mean by "let them down?"_

"Casey!" – Her mom's voice echoed from distance.  
Near the front door of a small farm house stood a woman, waving at the girl. A ginger bun on her head softly glimmering with fiery orange under setting sun made her look like a fairy straight out of legends.  
With a bright smile Casey hurried to her side.  
"Hi, mom. I hope they're not here yet" – she tilted her head to the side when her question came out as a statement.  
"No, not yet. But they'll be here soon, so get ready and help me with dinner"

It took her almost half an hour to get her books back into her room unnoticed, take a shower and change into something more comfortable: a simple summer dress. And soon after, she was next to her mother chopping ingredients for salad.  
"C'mon, chef, it's not that bad" – her mom teased after Casey refused to let her help.  
"Yes it is. You always make it tasteless"  
"I'm sorry for not having an _exclusive_ talent in cooking"  
"That's exactly why **I'm** the chef in this house"  
"Who decided that?"  
"I'm self-proclaimed" – Casey shrugged – "plus you just admitted that"  
Neither of two women laughed or cracked a smile during that short, silly conversation. Often they had serious suspicions that if someone was to hear them speak, they'd assume that they meant every single word. Sometimes even Casey's father did.  
While talking with each other they changed the tone of their voices and expressions to seem angry or hurt, yet they always knew when it was only an act.

A doorbell rang, pulling them out of the little, comfortable world they shared. Soon after her mom left she heard her speak from the hallway, her voice was accompanied with two more. One was low and calm: a male's voice, probably in his fifties. Other was higher-pitched, clear voice that was quiet pleasant to simply listen to.

Casey was almost done with preparations when the voices neared, then moved further once again as they entered another room. She heard the man speak her name and her mom call out for her.  
 _"He asked about me"_ – her mind almost cried – _"why did he ask about me?"_  
Taking a deep breath she walked into the hallway and, for a moment, froze, nervously gripping on the knee long skirt, in front of a closed wooden door before grabbing the handle.  
Moments later the door opened revealing a young girl, a soft smile on her rosy lips. She briefly looked around the wide room: on the right side, on wine colored couch and few armchairs sat people she had never seen before.

The man, whose voice she heard prior looked quite different from what she originally imagined. He was tall and strong built. Had tanned skin, black eyes and hair that had strands of grey in it. Wrinkles around his eyes deepened as he smiled at her approach, his mouth barely visible from under a thick mustache.  
Right next to the man sat a woman, his wife, judging by golden rings around their fingers. She was significantly shorter than him, slightly chubby.  
 _"She must be Spanish"_ – Casey thought taking slow steps while the time stood still.  
She had the most beautiful big chocolate colored eyes and long black hair that was resting on her dark shoulder in a thick braid. She aged quite a bit, probably was only few years younger than her husband, but even then her overwhelming beauty was evident.

Politely greeting the couple Casey sat down on an armchair next to her mother.  
"Do you remember Mr. Eraman?" – Her mother asked and she shook her head.  
"Of course she doesn't, Eilis. She was only three old or so when I last came by" – the man laughed.  
"It was that long ago?" – The ginger woman half-whispered – "well, in that case I'll introduce you. Mr. Eraman is your father's close friend. They used to study in the same university" – Eilis said gesturing towards the man and he nodded.  
"Please call me Ethan" – he smiled holding his hand out. As her hand completely disappeared in his huge one Casey couldn't help but compare it with Sans' much colder and harder, boney one – "and this is my wife, Lora. I believe you haven't met her either" – he continued looking over to Eilis.  
"It's a pleasure to meet you" – Casey said with a small nod looking at both of them with a smile. They seemed like nice people.

"You were so shy back then. Cried when I tried to pick you up" – Ethan laughed – "now look at you: a fine young lady. But enough of old guy's blabbering, it'd probably be more interesting for you youngsters to chat with each other"  
 _*It really wouldn't*_  
"Nye, Lucy stop staring at your goddamn phones, there are people here besides you, show some respect" – Ethan's voice got slightly deeper in anger as he spoke.  
Casey chose to ignore the two siblings until now, but after Mr. Eraman snapped causing them to lazily hide the devices in their pockets, she had no other choice but to communicate with them.

Both of them were around her age, looked quite alike with few minor differences. Nye, the brother, was a bit taller than Sans, though a lot thinner. Black wavy hair were up in a short ponytail, clear grey eyes looked even brighter on tanned skin. Probably due to his father's words he looked at her with displeasure, because of that she didn't want to say how much she agreed with the older man, even more than before.  
His sister, Lucy sat across him, right next to Casey. She was almost as tall as Nye, though looked younger. She had quite a resemblance to her mother, more than her sibling that is. Both eyes and hair were dark as night, heart shaped face and small nose were exactly like her mother's. But unlike her brother she acted nice and respectful. Giving Casey a smile she shifter in the armchair, so she'd be facing her.

"I'm sorry" – she said, her voice sweet and clear – "dad is right, it wasn't nice of us"  
"It's ok, you don't have to worry about it" – Casey waved her hands in dismiss, but was glad she apologized. Not because she was wrong, but because she, at least, showed that she cared.  
"Oh my God, what happened to your hands?" – Lucy's eyes widened as she stared at few scratches on the girl's palms.  
"Nothing serious…" – she muttered trying to hide the fear that crawled back out of her memories – "I just fell"  
"You fell quite hard if you ask me" – Lucy raised a brow.  
"What can I say? Life is hard for clumsy people"  
A couple of chuckles echoed in the room at that statement and, luckily for Casey, no one questioned her any further regarding that matter. Especially after Mrs. Eraman spoke, saying she fully understands her position.

The rest of the evening went by fast with the most enjoyable part, for starving Casey, being the dinner. The Eramans were telling various stories from their past and leading quite interesting conversations with Eilis. Listening to them only once in a while, Casey tried to concentrate more on the girl besides her, mainly because she felt like she had to.  
Lucy managed to present her entire autobiography and future plans in less than an hour. As well as tell everything one could think of about her dream boyfriend.  
 _"Guess what. I couldn't care less"_ – Casey thought, while pretending to be listening – _"she's one hell of a chatterbox, isn't she? Mother of all chatterboxes. A Queen to them all"_  
During the colorful presentation Casey threw few glances at Nye: he had, once again, taken out his phone, but she could tell he was listening. His expressions changed with Lucy's words and stories, and sometimes it seemed like he could no longer see the phone in front of his eyes.

As time went on Casey got more and more absorbed in her own little world, she would still listen to people around her and answer occasionally, but her mind was never really there. Thinking about it, she'd prefer Papyrus' rambling over the teenage drama that was going on next to her any day.  
 _"At least he made sense… At least I cared"_ – she thought while the younger girl kept telling about the annoying kids back at her school. Talk about irony.  
"Is there anyone like that in your school?" – She asked.  
"There might be. I don't exactly know everyone in the town, you know?" – Casey shrugged.  
"Well, obviously, but you do know people at school, right?"  
"What's the point? You can't have that many friends anyway. Plus the less people you know, in less awkward situations you'll find yourself in"  
"I can see where you're coming from" – Lucy laughed then sat back stretching – "it's gonna be so fun when we transfer"  
"Oh, so you're changing school… Wait, where to?" – She already knew the answer, but was hoping she was wrong.  
"Right we didn't tell you, did we?" – She looked over at her brother who only shrugged – "we're moving to Ebott town"  
"For how long?"  
"As far as we know, forever" – a voice spoke: soothing and soft. In Casey's opinion Nye's voice didn't exactly suit him, but was pleasant nonetheless.  
Yet with his words her desire to jump into the Underground increased _– "If not for the certain "super friendly" skeleton, I might've actually done it_ " – she thought remembering Sans' firm grip, subconsciously rubbing her neck that now had faint bruises.  
"I'm looking forward to it" – she was never fond of it, but lying was one of the things she didn't have a problem with. She smiled a little wider realizing that this time too it worked.

It was long past dark when their guests were gone and the two women finished cleaning up. Exhausted both physically and mentally they went straight to bed, without exchanging many words.  
"Just one year" – Casey muttered throwing her dress across the room watching it land on the table – "I need to put up with them for just a year"

Titles of three books on the nightstand floated in front of her eyes, covered in moonlight reminding her of her fears. But she ignored it, she knew he couldn't reach her, last incident happened because of her carelessness. She wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

Confidence filled her mind and heart as she drifted into long, undisturbed sleep.


	4. Magic

Casey sat silently resting her back against a thick old tree watching passing clouds through its leaning branches, green leaves on them were dancing calmly in soft wind. An open sketchbook was on her lap, a pencil hovering over few strokes she forgot all about. A headset covered her ears and she tapped her foot and bobbed her head in sync with music, completely oblivious of the world around her.

The sun was barely over horizon, gently grazing upon waking nature. Golden rays slowly fell from top of the mountain as time passed illuminating every curve of the high cliff. Casey's eyes traveled down with that bright line. Occasionally a lizard would run along the long wall only to freeze in warm light making the girl chuckle adoring the small creatures.  
She seemed to have forgotten every care in the world, simply enjoying one of the rare mornings she had completely to herself. But her smile faded when the light reached a large opening in front of her, not too far away.  
As the rays poured into the dark cavern she noticed a figure in it. Sans was standing there, glaring at her with one brow bone raised, his arms crossed in irritation.

After panicking for a bit, nervously glancing around with unnecessary arm and feet movements and inaudible blabbering with few apologies mixed in it, Casey set her sketchbook aside along with headphones and hurried to the skeleton hugging thick books tightly.  
"Hi" – she awkwardly greeted him feeling her breath shake for a moment.  
"Took you long enough" – he answered a bit harshly, keeping his gaze on the items in her arms.  
She crouched and putting one of the books on the ground in front of her gently pushed it until a small part of it was past the barrier, then stopped waiting for him to take it. And he did, then the next one and the third, chuckling under his breath as he did so.  
"I gotta admit, I didn't think you'd actually show up" – he smirked looking through the books – "I'm a bit disappointed, but can't really complain, I kinda need these… Umm, kid? Did ya get a wrong book? This doesn't have anything to do with humans" – he questioned opening the third one.  
"I thought… Papyrus would like it. It's about asteroids and stuff" – she explained softly, glancing at him every once in a while.  
"And what's that?"  
"Asteroids are basically huge pieces of rocks that float around in space" – she said pointing at the sky.  
"I don't think I asked for that" – Sans hissed.  
"Just let him see it… pl-please? It might be interesting for you too"  
"Now ya feel sorry for us? Want us to look at pictures of _cool shit_ you see every day?" – He snarled sarcastically.

For few moments Casey only stared at the skeleton. He looked annoyed, normally she'd say he was scary or dangerous looking, heck she was terrified of him seconds ago, but now she couldn't find in her heart any kind of negative emotion towards him. A snigger escaped her lips followed by wholehearted laughter as she shook her head crossing her arms to form an X.  
"You got it wrong" – she said wiping away few tears that formed in corners of her eyes – "I've never seen an asteroid. In fact most humans haven't and, probably, never will" – she said and for a moment watched Sans, he seemed curious, so she continued – "it's not something you can see with naked eye, unless it's in Earth's atmosphere on its way to crush somewhere in the vicinity five minutes before it disintegrates you or, if you're lucky, a bunch of other unfortunate souls"  
"Disintegrate?"  
"Yeah… it's scary, honestly. A giant rock falls from the sky burning and crushing everything in its way and there's absolutely nothing we can do about it. It makes this world seem so small and fragile and us, so helpless…"

She stopped glancing over at Sans, mentally scolding herself, she was planning to just give him the books and leave. What was she doing chatting with him?  
"Sorry, I'm rambling" – she averted her gaze from him, staring at her hands instead. He scared her, even when she knew he couldn't do anything to her at the moment. The memories of their 'encounter' suddenly returned sending a shiver through her body and, for a brief moment, a desire to leave became stronger.  
"Nah, it's fine" – he shrugged – "does it happen a lot?"  
"Not really, as far as I know. Most of them gravitate towards Jupiter - that's another planet - and don't reach us. Meteors, on the other hand, are quiet common, though I've never seen one of those either. Up close, I mean"  
"And a meteor is?" – Sans sat down with the astronomy book on his lap, looking through pictures in it.  
"Meteors are smaller versions of asteroids, much smaller. If it falls in an uninhabited area, no one will know. Though you can see some in the sky" – Sans looked up at her, now listening very closely, though she didn't notice as she kept looking up – "I'll tell you the exact date when a meteor shower is expected"  
"What exactly will we see?"  
"Blue streaks of light. Each of them would be visible for only a split second, but you'd probably see quite a few up here" – her smile widened becoming warmer as she talked. She looked so happy and he hated it. He hated that she lived there, free to see and know everything, while his brother couldn't.  
"Not too exciting if you ask me"  
"I was thinking that too before I saw my first one. It's definitely not something you can see in everyday life, for me it was something magical, out of this world" – she let out a quiet laugh – "literally"

Her voice died as her mind roamed in past, future, worlds unfamiliar to everyone else. She loved it, cherished it, daydreaming was an escape from this dull world for her. Though she had to admit, it became a lot more exciting after meeting Papyrus.  
Rubbing her neck Casey stared back down, Sans was absorbed in the book and didn't seem to pay attention to her at all. Slowly getting up she backed away feeling a bit uneasy and unsafe again.  
"I've borrowed the books from a library, I need to return them in twenty five days…" – she said motioning Cinis to come closer – "please be careful with them"  
The skeleton smirked with a quiet chuckle and nodded.  
"Will do, I still need these, after all" – he said pointing at the science books by his side – "why are ya freaking out, though, cause of our little friendly neckshake? Bet that's it. Know what that means?" – She saw his eyes grow empty, or maybe that was her imagination. She couldn't tell, but he looked sinister, almost like in her dream – "if ya make me angry, something worse might happen"  
Casey wanted to respond, to say she wasn't scared, she could deceive him, couldn't she? Her mouth opened slightly as thoughts formed in her mind, but before long she closed it. Without saying a word she turned around and left, her horse trailing behind.

"And when I thought we had a nice chat he had to ruin it" – she muttered to herself as she walked along a narrow path, kicking small rocks that happened to be on her way.  
With her eyes on the road she quietly muttered inaudible complains to herself, like a sulking child: a way to forget the fear that seemed to constantly change: growing and lessening as if her mind couldn't decide in what light to see him.  
Lost in her thoughts she wandered, each step taking her further away and she barely noticed thickening trees passing her by, sun shining through thousands of branches lessen by minute. She came to a halt when dark shadow surrounded her. Looking around she found herself in a part of the mountain unknown to her, yet one somehow familiar.  
She recognized the place, even though she knew she have never seen it or had any way of remembering the endlessly stretching trees, it felt like she has been there before. It wasn't the place itself, but rather something in it, something she felt like she knew from long ago.  
 _"Strange…"_ – Casey thought taking few more steps feeling tranquility fill her mind.  
A glimmer of light could be seen through low branches and dark green leaves, she followed it. Eager to get to the other side of this thick wall she barely held herself back from sprinting into unknown, breaking free of all obstacles in front of her. Moving a layer of vegetation after another she unconsciously walked faster, her eyes never leaving the glimmering light that was progressively getting larger.

Casey shielded her eyes with one hand as a blinding light filled the space around. She slowly cracked open an eye then the second one and looked around in awe.  
In front of her lay a large lake, its waters crystal clear, its surface, reflecting the light like a mirror, was only disturbed by rare small waves softly grazed by the wind. On right side a tall steep cliff stood, leading straight to the top of Ebott. Small part of the area where the girl stepped out of, was covered in thick forest. Along the left shore trees spread out more, opening up large areas covered in tall grass and wild flowers. But what caught her attention the most was the far end of the lake: pure white trees were scattered there as far as eye could see, slowly blending with green only to disappear in it. It looked like a snow covered layer, briefly reflecting in water it made it hard to see the line that separated the two.  
The young girl quickly turned around with a bright smile, excitement replacing the sadness in her hazel eyes and ran to the horse that was lazily peeking from between few trees.  
"What are you doing? You can come out!" – She laughed taking out few pencils, a sketchbook and a couple of treats from a bag on immobile creature's side. His ears twitched at her voice and he reacted to the food she offered a lot quicker than to anything else. Scratching his neck for a bit she watched him munch on grass and berries he found, before moving closer to the lake.

Along the base of high cliff several flat rectangular rocks were lined up on shore and in water in an arc with perfectly equal spaces in between, leading to a larger circular one near the center. Casey quickly but carefully made her way over that bridge.  
Standing at the center of the rock she stared down at it: strange writings covered its surface, circles and lines were curved in between, some incomplete, others tracing to edges and into the deep, their edges chipped from time. Small part of the stone was covered in moss and cracks with a chunk of it missing entirely.  
Whatever that was, for her it looked incredibly beautiful, a kind of thing she always loved and craved to see: ancient, abandoned, though it somehow felt lonely, she couldn't deny, it was filled with mystery, asking her to find out more. At least that's how she felt.

She sat down in that spot and looked around taking in the scenery, she felt ideas roam through her mind and inspiration fill her from within. With almost no pauses in between, her hand moved through pages, finishing a drawing after another. With each idea filling the blanks of the sketchbook another one was born.

Lost in her mind Casey barely noticed anything else, until something buzzed in her pocket forcing her back into reality.  
"Hey, mom" – she breathed out picking up the phone – "yeah, mom, I'm fine. No, no, yes, no. You know me too well to be asking that, of course I'm on the mountain, where else? I found a really nice place. Yeah, I'm drawing. Sure I can get that, yeah I was about to come back. Ok, bye"  
Hanging up she turned her gaze back to the sketch. She just started it: an outline of a white forest could be seen, among the trees she put up large, tall monoliths and was going to add writings from the rock beneath her on them. She really wanted to finish it, but the sun was setting and it wouldn't be long before its rays hid behind the horizon.

With a sigh she got up stretching her back, surprised that sitting on a stone for hours didn't hurt in the slightest. Careful to not slip she made her way back to the shore and called out for her horse, while looking for a way down herself. A narrow, but relatively empty of rocks and branches path soon came into view, twisting between trees and bushes down the hill. Beyond that she could see northern cliffs stretching into the dusk.  
"We're this far?" – She half-whispered in tired voice realizing how long it'll take her to get home – "we'll have to go all the way around" – she groaned looking back at the grey head staring at her, this time louder as if the horse was going to answer.  
But, at least, the trip that was definitely going to repeat many times in the future, was pleasant. Casey couldn't help but look around constantly, barely having enough time to see everything surrounding her. She noted to herself to return there in daylight, simply to wander around, to explore, she knew Cinis would love it too.

The trees soon cleared a wider, less steep path allowing her to move faster. When on a completely even field at the base of the mountain she took a turn towards the town.  
Stars began to glimmer softly in darkening sky as last light of the sun began to disappear. Casey raised her gaze into the dark vastness above her small self, stared into it. Endlessly big and endlessly beautiful it enticed her, bound her mind and spirit. It made her forget everything: her troubles, thoughts, everything around and everything within, she forgot about the home she called Earth and about herself. Seemingly for only a brief moment her world was nothing but the sky, stars and wonder.  
She let herself get lost in it until Cinis' pace slowed then came to a halt. Looking around the girl found herself near their farm.

"Good job, boy, but we have a small task in the town" – she muttered pulling the leather rein gently – "I know, I'm tired too" – she sighed when they moved again talking to herself more than anything.  
With lights on, the small, old town looked even friendlier. Making her way through it she did her best to memorize certain scenes and details: she found it useful for her new ideas.  
Some parts of it looked ripped straight out of medieval times with no modern technology or cars in sight. It felt like a knight will show up around the corner to give her a quest to kill a dragon, at the least.  
A smile found its way to her lips at that thought and she covered her mouth to hide the few giggles that followed. But they grew to none when a familiar face came into view.  
 _"Just when I was almost done"_ – she thought looking at the young man walking towards her – _"what was his name again? Nick? Nile? Nye, yeah it was Nye"_ – she watched him get closer, when close enough he briefly glanced at her, she nodded in greeting with a small smile – _"should I say something? I don't really wanna talk to anyone right now"_  
To her relief he didn't respond, walking past her he shifted his eyes forward. It wasn't exactly polite, but she didn't really care. She moved her head to her side, barely enough to see a soft glimmer of a plain silver earring before he disappeared. She didn't turn around, nothing compelled her to watch him and, in a way, she was grateful for that.

Breathing in the cool evening air Casey made her way back to the stables, a small packet with groceries in her hand. She had to admit: night with its lasting darkness, calm and silence had a charm she couldn't resist. She loved it as much as the morning, its beauty even more. Sometimes she wished she could stay awake when the world was still and serene and sleep when sun was practically burning her alive.  
 _"I wish I was an owl… an owl that could paint"_ – she thought feeling her eyelids get heavy.  
Her tired and sleepy mind wondered away with each passing second, various images finding their way through, appeared in front of her, erasing the reality completely, while she did her best to stay awake.

Before long she was home, familiar scent of it filled her lungs with each breath. Sounds of a TV could be heard from living room, a narrow strip of golden light shining from under the door seemed even brighter in dark hallway. The girl was silent as she made her way to bathroom, almost too silent. In a small mirror hanging on the wall she saw a pair of tired eyes staring back at her, brown hair messy from wind and the unexpected trip. She quickly washed her hands and face with cold water feeling, somewhat, refreshed; that would be enough for now.

"Hey, mom" – she greeted the ginger woman walking into the well-lit room.  
She was on the sofa in front of TV, her legs comfortably stretched on a small stool in front of her. She watched her daughter plop next to her: a small tray with meat pie and a mug with juice on her lap. She looked quite happy, the smile on her lips much wider than usually.  
"Something good happened?" – She asked with a sly smirk and the girl nodded, with absolutely no clue of what her mother meant.  
"Yeah" – she exclaimed a bit too loudly – "remember I said I found a nice place. It's so pretty and I think we've been there, though it's strange I forgot it was there"

Casey talked non-stop about it, trying to describe every little detail she noticed, or maybe imagined, but at that point she didn't really care. Memories of clear water, old trees rocking softly in wind came back to her and she couldn't hold herself back from telling her mother everything.  
The older woman listened with a warm smile on her lips, while her eyes reflected both curiosity and a little bit of confusion. Casey rarely talked that much even with her, the one person she was closest with.  
Eilis could only wonder what secrets her daughter had and how many there were, but she never pushed her. She knew that everything would be revealed when she'll be ready and **only** then. That's how it always was.

"I only know two lakes and neither of them is that high up. Are you sure we were there before?" – Eilis asked after the brunet grew silent.  
"I'm sure. That stone, whatever that was used for, I've seen it before. I couldn't have mistaken it for anything else, it's the only one around" – she said rubbing her chin – "maybe I've been there with dad"  
She looked back at her mother who only shrugged and mouthed a quiet "could be".  
"Think you can show me the place?" – The woman asked feeling excited herself.  
"I can, but you'll have to wait a bit" – Casey said. Seeing her mother's puzzled expression she added – "I found it by chance today, didn't really see where I was going and it was dark on my way back. So now I'll have to find it again… kinda. When I learn the way I'll show you"

Casey stretched her back yawning and felt her mind slowly drift away. Wishing her mom a good night she took her tray back to kitchen and slowly made her way to her small, but cozy room.  
Crawling into the bed she soon fell asleep.

The next few days were mainly uneventful. Most of her time Casey spent on the farm helping out her mom. With her dad away she was the only handy person around, the only free one that is. Luckily for their family she hardly ever had a problem with fixing things: whether it's a roof, broken fence or anything along the lines. Indoor equipment wasn't that easy, but she managed to find her way around those too (with manuals, google and video help). And after a repeated earthquake a couple of days prior their house needed her skills. Even though it wasn't that strong, few things still managed to break or come loose.

With few sandwiches by her side Casey was spending her well-deserved break in front of her laptop. With her eyes glued to the screen she watched one of the last episodes of an anime, scared to miss even a split second of it.  
"Not another cliffhanger…" – she groaned her mouth full with last remains of a late sandwich – "screw it, I'm watching another one"  
And so she did. With a bit more satisfying ending she turned the device off, planning to watch the rest after coming home: truly a miracle.  
She quickly changed her clothes to more comfortable ones: a pair of plain black pants and boots, on top she put on a sky blue tank top. Grabbing a thin knitted jacket she made her way out.  
"Mom, I'm gonna go up" – she said pointing at the green mountain in the distance.  
"Bring back some nice sketches, will you?" – The woman replied glancing up from a small book in her hands – "and finally paint something. I haven't seen you touch a brush for months"  
"I'll try" – Casey nodded with a smile turning around.  
She knew how much her mother loved her work. For a while now she kept talking about staging an exhibition and, surprisingly enough for herself as well as her parents, Casey loved the idea. For that she was willing to try harder and now was the time she felt like she could.

On Cinis' back once again she made her way to the forest looming high above them, quickly inching closer. Without thinking much at first she lead her mount over the paths she grew to love and soon was by a large crack, nearing a dark cave.  
Pondering about why she went there, while never intending to, she got off the large creature walking towards the opening, her eyes pinned to what was inside. Leaning against the cavern wall was someone familiar. His hand was weakly holding an open book on his lap, a hood covering his head protected his face from bright golden rays. His eyes were closed and she could see his chest rising and falling slowly.  
For few minutes she paced around the wide area wanting to leave, but something kept her from it. _She couldn't leave him like that._ Though she knew no one was going to pass - no one ever did - it felt unsafe, wrong.

Sighing in defeat over herself she returned, watching him one more time hoping to find him awake, but nothing had changed.  
"Guess we're staying here for now" – Casey whispered, carefully removing all the equipment from Cinis.  
She watched him run around a bit, enjoying the little freedom she gave him and it made her smile wider. Taking off her boots and getting the little pillow she took from home Casey lay down on her tummy in front of the cave.  
 _"Screw it, I'll just draw from memory"_ – she thought turning the page of her sketchbook to the unfinished illustration.  
Soon she heard something large plop down next to her, casting a shadow on her form. Leaning her head on one arm she gently stroked the silver mane of the creature hearing him fall asleep.  
Now alone with herself she forgot the track of time, getting lost in her work and ideas. Not always drawing, she often found herself thinking about worlds unseen, trying to complete and imprint them on white sheets.

She remembered the stone, something about how it looked and felt was alluring, she tried to understand what exactly it was. Recalling details she began drawing the outline, added the lines and arcs, the weird symbol in the center, she wasn't sure was correct, then the writings…  
She had no clue what they could mean, had no way of remembering after seeing them once, yet she did. Sitting up to have more light she kept writing, adding more and more symbols she could swear she never knew. When finished she glanced over three rows of perfectly aligned glyphs of some sort.

"Did I dream these?" – She thought carefully examining every little detail and her eyes widened in shock – "this part was broken, how could I know what there was? I… I must've imagined it, that's it, right?"  
Though she kept saying it to herself many times over, somewhere deep down she doubted it, she knew there was no mistake.  
"What am thinking? Stop being so paranoid, Casey" – she shook her head – "I'll just compare these and get it over with" – the plan calmed her down a little. Yeah she'd prove herself how stupid that was, she'd laugh thinking back at it.  
"Do me a favor, shut up" – a deep voice echoed making her jump a little.

Sans stared at her rubbing an eye, one arm leaning on a bent knee as the book slowly slid down closing on his side.  
"I'm sorry" – Casey apologized covering her mouth with two of her fingers – "was I talking out loud?"  
"Yap. What are ya doin' here anyway?"  
"I saw you were asleep in plain sight and decided to stay. It might've been troublesome if someone saw you"  
"Wow, very thoughtful, thank you"  
"Great, make fun of me when I was worried" – she crossed her arms looking away – "I'm leaving"  
"Not so fast, kid. Let me see that" – he came closer leaning on earth peeking through the gap and pointed at her lap where the sketchbook rested.  
"Kid? I'm 18" – she mumbled holding the drawing up – "like it, old man?" – She teased, but he didn't react.  
"Where did ya see that?"  
"There was a stone thingy around there. This was on it"  
"And you're not sure you wrote it all right?"  
"That's the thing. I think I did, but there's no way I could. I saw it only once and my memory isn't the best. Do you know what this is?"  
"Yeah, I read about it. It's a magic circle monsters used long ago. Could still be working" – he said looking up at the girl – "can I have it?"  
"What do you mean 'could be working'?" – Casey narrowed her eyes – "how can you tell?"  
"I'm not entirely sure, but there must be a reason why you remembered it so perfectly. Well, at least you think you did. Now, can-I-have-it?"  
Casey nodded after short hesitation. Taking out her phone she took a picture, then carefully ripped the page out.  
"What about this part then?" – She pointed handing the paper over to Sans – "It was broken, so there's no way I could've remembered it. It's, simply, not possible"  
"Magic, kid, it works wonders" – he smirked, then added without looking up – "you were leaving, weren't you"  
"I changed my mind, I'm staying… when can I see Papyrus?"  
"Donno, he never said"

Hugging her legs and resting her chin on her knees Casey watched the skeleton. He took out a pen from his pocket and started scribbling something around the circle she so carefully placed. Every once in a while he muttered something under his breath, but the words were never clear for her. He asked few questions about the place she found the stone, the time of day and other small details she found meaningless, but answered precisely.  
"What do ya think this means?" – He asked putting the paper away.  
"I have no clue"  
"Yeah, me neither"  
"Say" – he spoke after a short silence stepping closer once again – "do you like magic?"  
"I love it!" – Her voice sounded cheery as her lips formed the widest smile. He stared at it for a moment.  
"Will you help me out then?"  
"I'll try" – she nodded. If she did well, maybe he'd trust her more and that was exactly what she needed.  
"Good, give me your hand" – he held out his own waiting for her to place her palm in it, but she shook her head. After last time she wasn't going to stick anything through that barrier – "I won't harm you, I promise. I need your help, remember?"  
Slowly, but surely she inched closer reaching inside, feeling strange for trusting him so easily. Once possible he took her hand, holding it softly. It was strange how gentle he could be if he wanted, strange but also comforting.  
With his free hand Sans made a quick, smooth motion and a pure white matter appeared. Casey watched, with her mouth slightly open, as it took a form of a small bone. She had to admit, it was more than fitting for a skeleton, still unexpected.

He placed the bone into her hand and closed it firmly.  
"Take this to that stone and watch closely what happens. Place it on the stone if ya have to, but try to get a reaction. Can you do it?" – He asked and she nodded – "make it quick, it won't last long away from my magic"  
Holding her hand close to her chest she stared at the bone, her finger tracing its surface. It was smooth and rough, just like a regular bone would be, it was hard to believe it could just vanish.  
"Can I do it tomorrow?" – She asked looking back at him.  
"I told you, it won't last that long"  
"It's just…You see I don't remember where exactly that place is" – she explained – "I have to find it again and it might take long. No, it definitely will take long. I walked about an hour before stumbling upon it, so it's not close by"  
"Ok" – he nodded – "still, try today. Even if you don't make it I'll wait here tomorrow. Deal?"  
"If I do this you'll let me see Papyrus. Deal?"  
A loud laughter echoed in the cave. Sans was holding onto his nonexistent belly and wiping light blue, dimly illuminating tears. For once his smile was genuine and truly happy, it made her feel warm inside.  
"Smart" – he half-whispered after calming down – "gotta admit, I didn't expect anything…" – he looked at her from head to toes as if searching for the right word – "bold"  
"Can't say the same about you. Anyone can see clearly that you always were and always will be… bald"  
 _"What's gotten into me? I never make that kind of jokes" –_ her mind exclaimed, but she ignored it grinning at the guy in front of her, her gaze falling on his head every so often.  
Sans stared at her in disbelief for a solid minute, his eyes expressing joy for only a moment before he blinked it away.  
"Ya know what? Deal" – he put his hands back into the large pockets, leaning on one leg.

He watched her features beam with joy, it slightly irritated him, but he didn't show it. She quickly spun around poking a large creature with one foot.  
"Wake up, buddy. We gotta go" – she laughed. The creature raised its head then got up, shaking its body free of soil and few bugs. The girl slid her feet into high boots then proceeded to attaching leather…things at its back and head.  
"What are you doing?" – He asked.  
"You could say I'm equipping the horse. I need these to be able to ride him" – she smiled.  
"Ride him? That's what you call it?" – He asked, getting a somewhat confused look from her.  
"Yeah, why?"  
"Nothing. It's just new"  
She nodded getting on it in a hurry. She clearly wanted to say something as she opened her mouth a few times, her smile not faltering even for a moment. For a moment she stared into distance as if noticing something then turned back to him and whispered.  
"I'll see you later"

She disappeared from sight and for a moment it felt lonely, as if a bright light died.  
Tuning around Sans picked up the thick book and the paper she gave him, holding both close and, in a flash, disappeared.


	5. Watching

A quiet rustle sounded not too far away and her gaze fixed at the distance. Throwing one last glance at patiently waiting skeleton Casey whispered "I'll see you later" and rushed away not waiting for an answer. Something or someone was moving there, she could tell, the sound was too quick for the wind, seemed too rushed. If a human was nearby she knew she had to distract them, possibly lead them other way.  
But when she got there, there wasn't anyone or anything in sight. She watched the area carefully, as the horse moved forth, hoping to find no one. She felt uncomfortable thinking that anyone could be that close to Underground at any time. Since the barrier was invisible people could wander inside and stay trapped there for the rest of their lives, but something else worried her more. She couldn't understand why, but she didn't trust humans with this secret, not even her mother. A desire to protect the monsters, to prevent any kind of hint of misfortune, was getting stronger.  
 _"I'm too paranoid"_ – she thought glancing around – _"It probably was an animal or something. I should concentrate on Sans' task"_  
Pushing her troubling thoughts to the back of her mind she looked forward picking up pace.

For a while Casey carefully examined every cliff and tree and in a bit found few familiar ones, or so she thought. Anything she thought she knew soon faded into unknown once again. Paths and tracks lead deep into woods vanishing midway, openings between old trees guided into places much darker. She did her best to remember the way back, taking mental notes of anything that stood out.  
She was staring into distance for clues when something caught her attention. A faint sweet scent filled her senses, it seemed familiar. She followed. It proved to be harder than expected to find whatever that was, considering she only had faint idea of what she was looking for. She had a hint, but wasn't entirely sure of it: she thought she felt it before, near the mysterious stone.  
The scent soon got thicker and she hit the sides of the horse gently as a command to move faster.

Few white dots could be seen on the ground, then more and more until brown of the soil could barely peek from underneath. But Casey payed almost no attention to it as her gazes stayed fixed on what was above. Almost black branched covered in white flowers became more and more frequent and their scent filled every nook of the wilderness around. That sweet, soft scent she could breathe forever.  
Dashing through, she hurried to the opposite side of the lake. The bone was still in her pocket, she checked: there was still some time, so why couldn't she relax?  
 _"Who am I kidding? I'm always on edge when I have deadlines"_ – the girl sighed.  
The moment Cinis stopped she jumped off sprinting to the bridge firmly gripping on the small item Sans gave her.

She stood near the circular stone, her eyes traveling between it and her open palm: nothing was happening. She stepped forth now on top of it and held it further then closer, still nothing. Just like he suggested the girl put it down right at the center. Her fingertips briefly grazed over the cold surface sending chills through her body as she watched the bone disappear into light blue dust that lingered for only a split second.  
"Was that it?" – She spoke confused, but didn't move for a while longer, staring at the spot.  
Casey turned around feeling disappointed, when he mentioned magic she imagined something bigger, more exciting. Instead all that happened was a vanishing bone.  
 _"Maybe I was late"_ – a thought crossed her mind – _"I did take my sweet time getting here, maybe its magic ran out with an incredible timing?"_

Taking out her phone the girl made few notes in case something slipped her mind, though she doubted anything would. Once done she sat down and opened the photo of her sketch.  
Every line, every curl and arc matched the ones on the stone perfectly, symbols followed one another forming words, but never more. She could see them clearly and it scared her. But stronger than fear was her curiosity: it numbed everything else, made her love what she couldn't understand.  
She shook her head closing the picture. Nothing made sense and no matter how much she thought about it, nothing would, not with the amount of information she had: which was none. So instead of getting a headache she could easily avoid, Casey decided to explore the surroundings a little bit better.

She made her way to the white trees, the mere sight of them made her want to spend as much time there as possible. She knew that feeling wouldn't last long, but for now she wasn't going to fight it, there was no reason to.  
She was few feet away from them when clacking of hoofs quickly approached from behind.  
"What's wrong, boy?" – She asked in a sweet voice looking behind the grey creature, there wasn't anything to scare him, yet he acted that way – "wanna come with me?"  
She took the bridle off of his head before continuing her way and the horse followed close. She soon shrugged that behavior off, it probably wasn't anything serious anyway.

She saw a path around that place when making her way through earlier, even now it disappeared and came into view with every step, strangely beautiful and alluring. Covered in white, with few grey rocks sticking out on the sides, it lay in straight line. It wasn't eye catching, she probably wouldn't even find it at all if not for two rows of trees perfectly aligned on either sides.  
She followed the path, it wasn't long before it began to twist and trail higher. Color and light of the woods changed from white to darkening green as fir surrounded her.  
The path was now rocky and uneven, but plain to sight. There were few smaller ones along the way trailing sideways, but she stuck to the main one.

It took a while, but she reached so high, the top of Ebott was closer than ever. Standing on an edge of a high cliff she looked around.  
Mountains and hills covered the horizon, forests spread in the distance surrounding a small village she had only heard of. Houses in it like colorful dots were sprinkled across the landscape, standing out in endless green.  
Howling wind was strong, but felt nice in this summer heat, for a moment she closed her eyes listening to it. She'd stay there for a long time, she wanted to, but there were things she had to do.  
To finish quickly she took pictures on her phone of anything that cached her eye or could help her artwork in any way. Satisfied with the results she made her way down, this time on Cinis' back. It felt strange to take a path she didn't really know, it's been a while since she did.

Trees went by fast as the wind and soon the calming white returned. Casey let out a small, satisfied chuckle appreciating her coordination skills: one of the very few things she was really proud of.  
Back to where she was, the girl looked for short routes around the place. Finding few that lead to familiar trails and well-known areas, she headed home. There was no reason to stay anymore, while there was one to be back home, something she was excited about for the first time in forever.

The house was empty when she walked in – "right, mom has work today" – she mumbled putting keys on the table in her room.  
Gathering few necessary supplies she headed to the bathroom. Hot shower soothed her muscles she didn't realize were tired and aching. Now refreshed and with, unusually, a lot of energy she had a quick meal and locked herself in her studio.  
She opened the large window letting in fresh air and sat in front of it, a large blank canvas facing her. Scent of paint filled the air as she put few colors on a glass pallet. What came next was the most enjoyable part.  
She put few strokes indicating the sky and the ground, then mountains followed along with hints of a forest and a village. The scene was quiet different from what she saw and she intended to make it even less recognizable. With her imagination set loose she added some more details, shadows and even vague shape of an ancient city at the bottom.  
She set it aside to let the paint dry and grabbed another canvas instead, this one a lot smaller.

A small smile crept of her face when she remembered the enthusiasm with which Papyrus asked about snowy mountains. It wasn't surprising that there were none in the Underground, but, kind of, ironic that it was under one. Casey browsed her phone for some nice pictures and soon found one: few peaks rose to the sky blending with it near the base, everything was silvery with a hint of blue and only the tops stood out in pure-white between grey clouds.  
She started painting it, adding details of her own, but kept it realistic as she wanted this one to be. After adding few layers she stood up stretching and cracking her back. She stared at her work, it didn't look that good yet, but she was proud of what she achieved.

Her stomach growled reminding Casey that humans, indeed, need food for survival. Closing the window she made her way out and locked the door behind her. The house was still and silent as she exited it heading to stables. She checked on all the animals making sure everything was fine. She gave them food, cleaned the place for the day before heading back, tired more than she should've been.  
She quickly made simple dinner with whatever she could find, since going out again didn't seem appealing to her.

The sun was already setting when her mother came back. They had a small chat about their day, nothing too deep or tiring.  
"How did your drawing session go today?" – Eilis asked, slightly excited, as the two of them sat on a large couch, facing each other, their legs stretched and their feet on top of one another.  
"Good and bad" – Casey rubbed her chin – "bad because I didn't draw anything, instead I explored a lot. Good because I had so many ideas"  
The older woman smiled at her, it looked forced.  
"Mom are you tired?" – The girl asked and she gave a weak nod – "you should go to bed. Leave those, I'll clean everything up"  
With a small thank you her mom vanished into her room waving her a good night. Casey sighed in both relieve and exhaustion. What was happening to them that day? She quickly finished the dishes and entered her room feeling her energy draining. A small shadowy silhouette crept across the field in the distance. Casey narrowed her eyes to take a better look, but it was gone.  
"Welp, goodnight, whatever you are" – she muttered getting under a fluffy blanket. She felt sleep claim her consciousness.

It was around eight in the morning when she put down the brush and, once again, stared at the small painting, searching for any mistakes she might've made. She quickly corrected few small ones to her liking before heading out. She had to meet with Sans and tell him everything she saw, possibly do something about that stone-thing again. Maybe this time something interesting would happen, that thought excited her.  
On the way she kept dazing off, hardly ever noticing where she was. The events from previous day seemed strange, distant as if all that was nothing but a dream. For a moment she believed it was, but quickly chased those thoughts away _"I'm still half-asleep"_ – she shook her head.  
Guiding the way every so often Casey soon found herself by the cliff and the crack she was now so used to being around. She glanced inside only to find the cavern empty.  
"Time to wait for a skeleton" – she half whispered – "that's a sentence I never thought I'd say aloud"

The girl walked around, simply wandering never really caring where she went. Being alone among tall trees made her feel at home, it was a strange feeling she got used to a long time ago. She likes it, alone, but never lonely, it was a blessing.  
Occasionally she went back to check on Sans, but for a while he wasn't around. Now standing in inattention she watched dust drift slowly in calm wind, visible in few beams of light that broke through clouds and branches of the tree she was leaning against.

A quiet, barely audible rustle reached her ears. She shrugged it off as another sound of the forest before a memory returned to her mind: that nightmare of hers. She found it weird how she could distinguish it so precisely.  
 _"Could I always do that?"_ – A thought echoed as she stepped closer to the cave.  
The nightmare was something she still couldn't understand or explain, and Sans clearly showed that it was something he could do. He could be… no he was dangerous, yet she felt safe. Her senses warned her to be couscous and she intended to listen, at least for now.

Just like she suspected, he was there; grinning at her from across the dark path. She felt her lips part, she wanted to greet him, tell him how everything went. Even though nothing really happened she was excited. But before she had a chance to, something large blocked her view.  
"Hello, human Casey!" – A loud voice spoke making her look up from her seated position – "I've heard you wanted to see me. Is that true?"  
"I did" – the girl yelled both happy and surprised – "I didn't know you'd be coming today… that's nice"  
She briefly glanced behind the tall skeleton, Sans, not paying much attention to them, opened a book and was calmly reading in the background. She decided to thank him later.  
"Do you love me, human?" – Papyrus' question shifted her attention back to him.  
Casey tilted her head in confusion – _"what the… that came out of nowhere"_. She watched her friend carefully, although only a moment passed she read few emotions in his void eyes: joy, confusion… embarrassment? It took her another second to put it all together.  
"Of course. You're my friend" – she said innocently shooting him a sweet smile. For a moment he looked baffled, but soon recovered.  
"You're so humble, I'm proud of you" – he said in an awfully cheery voice – "but I believe I owe you a date"  
"A date? Why?" – Her smile faded and she glared at Sans, who was now chuckling uncontrollably. He stared at them with a shit eating grin. He knew this would happen, didn't he? That's why he was in a good mood from the beginning.  
Casey turned back to Papyrus. She adored his innocence and kindness, but she couldn't let him misunderstand, for his own sake more than anything.  
"Because you're my friend, of course" – he beamed, puffing his chest proudly – "I am very great, it's not a surprise you're madly in love with me. And a date is the least I can do for you"  
"Papyrus, do you know there is more than one type of love?" – She spoke, now more seriously. If he didn't understand hints she had to be straight forward.  
For a moment he froze, thinking, then spoke again – "of course I do. I'm very smart, you know?"  
"See? That's how it is for me too, it's different"

* * *

Her smile shone again, so comforting and warm. Sans tried to concentrate on his book, but found his gaze returning to her, it annoyed him. And most of all, it was annoying how he was drawn to her even when away. And that smile… half the time it wasn't nearly as sincere as the monsters' he knew, but it was different and new in a way he couldn't understand.  
That was the reason behind all that: curiosity, quite simple. As always.  
 _"She turned him down, huh?"_ – He thought, smirking to himself as the girl explained herself.  
Relief washed over him, Paps wouldn't hold high hopes now and he wouldn't need to cheer him up. She did them both a favor.  
 _"Of course she doesn't love you, Pap"_ – his mind spoke, but his voice refused to sound – _"humans are selfish. Like I told you"_  
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" – His brother plopped down right in front of her, his smile wide and relieved – "I'm glad it was a misunderstanding. For I am not sure I could match your passion"  
Even though it sounded quiet stupid he looked so proud of himself that, for a moment, Sans couldn't bring himself to laugh. But it didn't have the same effect of the human girl. It took her mere seconds to crack up.  
Holding onto her stomach she let a whole hearted, loud laughter escape her chest through rosy red lips. It sounded nice: the laugher… her laughter.

He barely noticed his own thoughts while watching the other two chat, laugh and joke. Their short, awkward discussion was soon forgotten by both as they lost themselves in foreign lands and stories. The girl answered all of Papyrus' questions with patience and care, making sure he understood everything perfectly: the sea, the desert, large cities and skyscrapers.  
At least that was her intention. As awesome as Papyrus was, his imagination wasn't the best, neither was his understanding of anything vast or abstract.  
In turn she never interrupted him and, although spacing out quite often, made sure he didn't notice. She appeared interested in everything he said, his training, spaghetti and his puzzles.

Sans chuckled when her head bolted up slightly, eyes glittering brighter than before, the moment Pap mentioned Snowdin. With almost every small detail he mentioned she replied with something, seemingly small, but visibly important to her.  
Apparently she loved winter and everything about it: the snow, the cold, white that covered all, and most of all she loved Christmas. But even when telling all about it, and how beautiful everything around became, she was delicate with her choice of words. Constantly careful, making sure she didn't say anything to upset the taller skeleton or make him long for surface more than he already was.

* * *

"We should hang out again later" – Casey waved at Papyrus as he took his brother's hand before disappearing.  
It took Sans few seconds to reappear at the exact same spot. She sat more comfortably with her legs crossed and took out her phone.  
"Does it happen often with Papyrus?" – She asked going through her notes – "you know, him misunderstanding other people's feelings?"  
"Why, you have a problem?" – He hissed, when her tone sounded mocking to him.  
"Not really. I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound… rude" – she scooted back when his expression didn't change – "it was just weird"  
"What was?"  
"The assumption. It wasn't… I-I don't think it was, umm… normal"  
"Well, all this is new for 'im, guess he didn't know what to think of it. Anyway, let's get back to business"  
Giving him a quick nod Casey started explaining what happened. There wasn't much to tell, but she felt responsible for her every word and went into details of anything unusual she saw or felt. That was the confusing part: it was really hard to describe what she felt, on top of that Sans seemed interested in it more than anything else. He leaned closer to her, his face mere millimeters away from the barrier. With his arms resting on soil and his head on one palm he watched as she struggled to find the right words.

"It wasn't just cold" – she said – "I felt a really unpleasant, freezing cold reach my very core. It felt somehow dangerous, but familiar. It was magic, wasn't it?"  
"From what you told me it sure seems like it" – Sans rubbed the back of his head and for few minutes closed his eyes, mumbling something under his nose.  
"Listen, kid" – he spoke after a while distracting the human from intense horse neck-rubbing and, probably, unintentionally painful headbutt dodging – "think ya can try that again?"  
"Sure" – she smiled looking back at her friend.  
Sitting back down she stuck her hand into the cave, her palm open. As he held her hand in his own she noticed his expression change to a bit warmer one. For a moment she saw doubt and concern.  
"I read something about a DNA in the book ya gave me" – he said without looking up – "I wanna study it myself"  
"And you want mine" – she finished his thought for him and he nodded taking out a flask, in it she saw a metal glim – "it doesn't have to be blood, you know?"  
"I know. I need it for other research" – he paused for a moment, a needle in his hand, yet reluctant to move – "will it hurt?"  
"Just go for it. It's not a big deal"  
 _"You did worse, why bother now?"_ – Her mind raged, but she pushed those thought away. Saying that might not be the best idea.

She barely felt anything when the cold metal pierced her skin. Crimson drops fell, slowly covering glass bottom of small medical flask and crawling upwards. She made sure the flow didn't stop too soon, she had to admit: it was a weird thing to do, but she was willing to help with anything she could.  
Getting the right amount Sans shut the lid. Gently rubbing his thumb over the wound he let go.  
"Wait here" – his eyes tuned serious for a moment before going back to their usual calm state.  
He once again disappeared, this time too, for only few seconds. Taking her hand he put another bone he formed and a folded piece of paper.  
"I want you to do the exact same thing as last time. Put the bone and keep you hand on that stone, see if you'll feel the same thing as before"  
"Ok. What about this?" – Casey asked unfolding the old yellowish sheet. Seeing it was blank on both sides she gave the skeleton a puzzled look.  
"I… 'put' some of my magic in it. If the bone disappears, like before, hold it against the writings"  
He explained as the girl put everything away and climbed the grey creature – "I can make it there and back in about an hour" – she said looking down from her higher seat. She noticed his features soften for a moment as he chuckled with a short and simple reply – "I'll wait you here".

She knew this part of the forest, knew the paths around her, yet the air felt different. An unsettling sensation haunted her, as if a pair of hungry eyes of a beast were stalking her. She gripped the handle of a gun pinning her eyes forward, unnoticed to herself, as they turned from scared to daring and it was gone, leaving everything around in its pure, crystal form.  
Whatever that was vanished as if never appeared in the first place. The rest of the road she kept her senses sharp, but there was nothing there. The forest was once again calm and quiet: the way she loved it the most.

 _"Let's see how this goes"_ – she thought taking each step with extra care, trying her best to avoid wet edges and small areas of the stone bridge that waves kept hitting.  
She crouched down, her fingertips traced the uneven surface, her palm lingering in one spot for few seconds: it felt normal, like any other rock would. With her palm resting against the cool surface she placed the bone in the center, just like he told her to.  
Though she expected it, she couldn't hold back the small gasp when it vanished into faintly glowing dust.  
"That really was the reason, huh?" – She mumbled when the coldness under her hand strengthened in a heartbeat, turning unpleasant and grim. Next was the time for that old looking piece of paper – _"hold it against the writings"_ – she repeated in her head – _"… which writing?"_  
Feeling lost for few moments she chose a random spot and slammed the paper down, hoping for the best.  
She waited for a bit, nothing happened, she switched the spot then carefully examined both sides: nothing. Groaning under her breath Casey got up.  
"And there I thought something exciting will happen" – she mumbled making her way back, now twice as careful.

Wind was rushing past faster and stronger, sun hidden behind grey clouds casted shadows on the mountain dyeing the woods darker. She hurried back, commanding the horse to move faster when she heard raindrops fall on leaves: the only layer between her and the sky.  
Then there it was again. The gaze watching her, it felt dangerous a bit more than before. Could it be her imagination? Could it be the magic messing with her?  
Those thoughts wouldn't leave her, what if that really was the case? That would mean that Sans dragged her into this unexplainable, strange reality and she followed. She felt angry, a lot less than she'd normally be, but angry nonetheless: both at herself and him.  
"I'll have to stop all this. I wanted to help, that's true, but at what cost? I don't want to go crazy over this" – she mumbled under her breath getting off as soon as the opening came into view.  
But the moment she came closer all her anger, the doubts and fear vanished. Just as promised he was there, lying lazily on his chest with a book in front of him. Upon hearing her quiet footsteps he got up grinning as usual.

She told him everything that happened and she saw in detail. He only listened, nodding occasionally, took few notes.  
"What about the paper I gave ya?" – He asked, somehow impatiently.  
"It's right here, but I don't think anything happened" – she handed it over and watched him examine it.  
"Nah, it did"  
"Like what? It was blank when you gave it and I'm pretty sure it can't get any blanker now" – he chuckled at that.  
"My magic is gone, kid, all of it"  
"Didn't you say it was temporary?"  
"Well, it is, but even then some traces would've been left" – his voice grew quiet as he lost himself in thoughts. Silence fell upon them as Sans began to scribble in his notebook.  
"So…" – Casey mumbled after a while – "What does it mean exactly?"  
"I've got an idea. Gimme your hand"  
She felt a bit skeptical about his cheery voice, but put her hand in his stretched out one without delay. In few moments she felt a familiar unpleasant, cold sensation. Now it was stronger and slightly different: she actually felt empty inside.

Instinctively she jerked her hand back, but everything was back to normal before it left his firm grasp.  
"Is that what ya were talking about?" – He asked looking amused with her reaction. She nodded and gave the skeleton a long questioning stare – "I just took a bit of your magic. Meaning that's what the stone does too"  
"Humans don't have magic"  
"They do, it's just not as easy for you to use it"

"Will you teach me?" – She jolted up slightly, her face laced with excitement and joy. Could she actually use magic? She wanted to get started right away, but her smile fell when she saw him sigh.  
"Sorry. I only know that ya have it. I don't know how it actually works" – he shook his head and watched how she sat back down. She looked so disappointed, almost broken. He wanted to help.

"What now?" – Casey asked breaking another lasting silence. Sans looked up finally letting go of her hand that he seemed to examine very thoroughly – "we figured out what it does, so what now?"  
"We only know a small part of its purpose. We've still got stuff to do"  
"How can you tell?"  
"You're a curious one aren't you?" – He sniggered. She couldn't help but notice how often it happened during that one day. * _Wow he's in a really good mood, I wonder what happened*_ – "first of all, the magic it takes must go somewhere" – he spoke again – "And second: those things were never made for something that simple"  
"Ok" – she smiled feeling slightly more excited again – "so what do I do"  
"I don't know yet… Say, can we meet tomorrow? I gotta go soon"

Casey shook her head. Although she knew it couldn't be helped she regretted giving that answer. He looked down. Though he tried to hide it behind his smile, she could see.  
With that something within her went dull, she never wanted to hurt him.  
"How about the day after?" – The words came out before she could stop them or realized what they meant. She probably wouldn't stop even if she did.

Sans closed his eyes, his grin growing wider. He let out a quiet hum and muttered a small "sure".  
She tried to read the emotions in his, now half-open, eyes, but failed. There were too many.  
For few more minutes they chatted about nothing in particular. They simply joked and laughed, made silly comment about, pretty much everything. And when it was time to leave they felt a bit lonely, but happy with the time they spent.  
When saying their goodbyes Casey found herself smiling non-stop, secretly hoping to pass the warmth she felt all around when she, once again, heard the words so simple.

"I'll see you later, dove"


	6. Presence

Casey stood in front of a tall bedroom mirror, few blouses on the bed next to her. Going through them all and putting few on, she stopped on a dark purple airy one. With a low cut lace back, a thin, see through fabric cascading down her shoulders and wrapping itself loosely around her elbows in a bow, it wasn't fit for horseback riding to say the least, but for some reason she really wanted to wear something pretty and special that day. _"I'm in a weird mood"_ – she shook her head.  
Stepping out of the room she headed to the kitchen, it would be nice to have a breakfast with someone for a change.  
Her mom was sitting by a small table, ginger braid laying on her back. She didn't notice her daughter approach for a while, her attention switching between her phone and a notebook she was writing in.

"Morning" – Casey mumbled lazily walking around the table to wooden cabinets. The woman looked up with a slightly surprised expression.  
"You're home" – a mixture between a question and statement broke the silence – "thought you were going out today"  
"I am, just a bit later"  
"Where to?" – Green eyes scanned her from head to toe as the girl poured herself some tea, her look a bit suspicious – "do you have a date?"  
Casey's eyes widened for a split second before going back to normal as she shook her head with a low snigger. Her mom seemed to love that question.  
"I'm going up"  
"You dressed up a bit too fancy for that, don't you think? You even did your hair, with a braid and all. Wow, there's even a ribbon"  
"I just felt like it" – The girl shrugged checking the time. 8:45, Sans usually didn't arrive for, at least, another hour. She still had some time.

Unfortunately that wasn't true for both of them. It only took few more minutes for Eilis to finish her food. She grabbed her hat, a navy blue backpack and headed to the front door.  
"Oh, I almost forgot" – she took few steps back, peeking through an open doorway – "I was hoping you'd show the kids around"  
"What kids? Around where?"  
"Lucy and Nye. They wanted to see the mountain up close"  
"I can't today" – Casey said firmly, pinning her gaze down – "I promised a friend I'd meet him"  
"You can all hang out" – a sly smile crept on her face, but her daughter didn't notice. For a moment she looked sad, almost lost. It worried her – "what's wrong, honey?"  
"I don't think he'd like that… He doesn't really like meetin new people" – she had no clue if it was true or not, but that was the only excuse she could come up with.  
"Why don't you ask him? Who knows he might agree"  
"I'll ask, but if he doesn't, those two will have to wait" – her voice changed, without her ever trying, from uncertain to demanding, yet not any less quiet. Her hazel eyes met with the woman's bright green ones and her mother flinched so softly that it was barely visible. Her expression shifted to something Casey couldn't quiet figure out. It looked wrong.  
Did she say something wrong? Was her tone too harsh? She was sure that wasn't the case, she sounded really calm, to herself too, even if the feeling in her chest was different.  
"Mom?" – She tilted her head, confused and the older woman sighed.  
"I'll send you their numbers. Let them know what you decide"  
"Me? But I never made plans with them, why should I…?" – Before she could finish the door closed, leaving her in complete silence. Questions still swirling in her mind.

On her way to Ebott she kept thinking about what happened, tried to understand what went wrong, she usually could do it without a problem, so why not now? She had no other choice but to ask her, maybe apologize depending on the answer.  
On the other hand she made plans without asking first, so it was natural she could refuse… Why was everything so complicated?

Casey let out a frustrated sigh sitting down in front of a familiar cavern, for some reason she felt tired already and her head throbbed, although lightly it was enough to bother her. She realized she wasn't alone only when a deep chuckle sounded.  
"What's wrong so early in the morning?" – Sans stood right in front of her leaning on rocks. His signature grin on his face made everything seem so easy, all problems: simple. Though she knew it wasn't true, she couldn't help, but feel calm and optimistic around him, as if nothing could go wrong.  
"My mom wanted me to "show someone around the mountain", which basically means I have to make sure they don't get lost" – she grumbled, looking around as she did.  
"Don't like 'em?"  
"I just don't particularly enjoy her attempts of making me socialize" – she raised a brow– "well, at least she doesn't do it too often. And, yes, they're annoying. Each of them in their own way"  
"Didn't think ya hated it. Didn't exactly have a problem with me and Pap, didja?"  
"Honestly, I don't understand that myself, I was, kinda, drawn to you guys. Maybe it had something to do with magic" – her eyes sparkled with realization and she looked back at Sans. He shrugged, his grin twitching up for a split second.  
"Ya look nice today. Any occasion?" – He asked eyeing her and she shook her head.  
"Thank you, but no, not really, I just wanted to" – her lips curved a bright smile as she spoke, her hazel eyes sparkling like diamonds and a faint pink tint dyed her cheeks.  
He liked that.

A weird silence feel between them after, it wasn't really awkward, nor was it comfortable. It just was there, lingering while they sorted their thoughts. At least that's what it was for her.  
"Not to be rude, but why did you call me today?" – Casey asked sheepishly breaking the silence. She threw few glances at the skeleton every so often.  
He looked slightly taken aback. _*Did he really not expect me to ask anything?*_ Few sweat drops appeared on his skull that she chose to ignore for now.  
"From the looks of it we're gonna work plenty together" – he said after a little while, his eyes fixed on few blades of grass leaning into the opening – "thought it would be right to get to know each other a bit better…" – he seemed to realize what he said after he was long finished – "if ya don't mind of course" – he added as fast as he could, in a single breath scratching the back of his head.  
"Why would I?" – She smiled. It was exactly what she wanted and now he was the one to suggest it. There's no way she would turn it down. Even when she didn't understand the reason behind it, she was excited and, in a way, happy for this turn of events. Not only for her plan, but something else as well.

"I was actually curious about something for a while now" – she said feeling more confident. When he nodded she continued – "how old are you?"  
"That's the first question you ask?" – He laughed out. She couldn't deny, it was a bit stupid, but then again, it wasn't something she could just guess. Not with a skeleton.  
"It's a bit hard to figure out with you guys. Actually, scratch that, it's impossible. Cause, you know, folk like you are usually found six fit… there" – she pointed down – "no offence"  
"Wait, ya can tell a human's age, by looking at 'em?"  
"Yeah, not exactly and not always, we still can get it wrong. But in most cases it's not too hard. So how old are you?"  
"I'll be 27 in about a month"  
"And Papyrus?"  
"24"  
"Is your lifespan different?" – He looked confused by her question – "from a human's, I mean"  
"A bit" – he shrugged – "We live a bit longer. About 10 to 20 years"  
"Is it somehow connected to your magic?"  
"You're a smart one, aintcha? It is, but I'm not telling ya how"  
"Why not?" – She didn't want to admit it, but she felt a bit hurt with him not trusting her. But she knew she wasn't the one to judge, it could've been something important or personal, something he couldn't tell just to anyone. He could, simply have no desire to talk about it, like her sometimes.  
She shook her head smiling brighter at him – "nevermind. It's ok if you don't want to"

* * *

Sans watched as her features brightened again, she was a strange girl he wanted to understand. The way she talked or behaved wasn't anything special or unusual, yet something in her felt different. It could tell him a lot about humans and their Souls, he hoped it would.  
"Why do you always smile?" – The words came out faster than he could stop them.  
Panic took over as he tried to think of an explanation, but relaxed when her face showed only slight confusion, her eyes softer than ever. She hummed as if asking him to repeat.  
"You can't be happy all the time, can ya?" – He said trying to sound calm.  
She thought for a bit and it seemed like she didn't notice him at all. Her eyes were frozen on one spot, staring at nothing in particular. The light in them flickered to him.  
"I guess you're right" – she said crossing her arms, her eyes still thoughtful – "I often smile when I'm nowhere near happy, guess it's just a habit by now. But why does it surprise you?" – In an instance her expression turned a bit more serious, yet not any less soft – "it's it the same for you?"

He froze in place with no words coming out, questions forming in his mind one after another. How could it be the same for them when she saw it so clearly, while he believed her act since the beginning, until the end? Maybe Papyrus said something when he wasn't paying attention? Or maybe it was something he did? Or was he really that transparent?  
"When did you notice it?" – He asked, his eyes not leaving hers.  
"Not too long ago. I don't even remember how or what I saw… I just did"  
"Funny. I figured ya were different, couldn't say what exactly was, but I knew there was something. Though I never considered _that_ an option"

His wards came as a whisper, when he never intended it to be. Only yesterday he wanted to give this human a chance, to be nice to her. And now he learned that he couldn't trust her, neither her words nor her actions. She could fool him, lie to him or his brother, maybe she already had, maybe she was trying to get rid of them or maybe she will. Just like that other kid.  
All he could do now was watch her: after all he still needed her help. In the end that was all to it. Use her until she could give nothing more, before she could use them.  
That was it, wasn't it? So why did he hesitate?

* * *

"Sans?" – She called again. He flinched, his spaced out eyes resting on her once more – "what's wrong, is something the matter?"  
"Nah, I was just thinking" – his gaze traveled to the distance outside for a moment before he looked back – "that eye of yours. What's up with it?"  
"This?" – The girl lightly touched the area under her left eye, a goofy grin covering her lips – "it's called heterochromia… think I said it right. Anyway it simply means that I have different colored eyes. In my case both of those colors are in one eye. Cool, isn't it?"  
A small giggle erupted, she was really excited to talk about it, really happy he noticed, it was something she loved. She couldn't help, but wonder if nothing like that ever happened with monsters. She asked. The answer was both satisfying and strangely predictable, yet one she never thought about.  
Monsters, as beings made mostly of magic, were too different. Nothing appeared strange for them and no matter what they looked like, nothing was out of ordinary.  
She suddenly had an urge to see them, at least some of them. She knew she couldn't at the moment, Sans said he couldn't bring anyone, but when they were out she would. She wanted to, hoped to make friends with them. It felt like she could, just like with Sans and Papyrus it was worth trying more than with humans. It was a strange thought she tried to cast away, but one that lingered in the back of her mind even when she noticed it barely enough to realize its lasting presence.

Time flied for her. Minutes passed, turning into hours and she never noticed, never cared. It felt comfortable with him, in a different way from Papyrus and she loved it. A small, almost fading thought was still present within her. It could be he still disliked her or even hated her, just like the first time they met, he could be acting nice for one reason or another. And for now the only thing she could do was to treasure the time they spent and hope that one day it becomes honest for both of them.

Conversation filled the silence most of the time, sometimes short and meaningless, other times long and deep enough for them to lose themselves in it, but never boring. At some point it was no longer about humans or monsters, but them as nothing more than two names, two souls. It let her forget about the barrier between them, it felt like she'd be able to visit him any time she wanted, she let that wish stay for a while.  
When, occasionally, silence filled the air around them, it almost never was awkward or uncomfortable. She could lose herself in her thoughts, the wide world inside her head and never worry about him being bored, she felt like it was the same for him.  
A ping of sadness flashed in her heart when the time to part fell upon them, vanishing just as fast as it appeared. She did her best not to show it, smiled in a warm, welcoming way when saying her goodbye. She hoped it would make him want to meet again, as friends before anything.

Sans disappeared and the girl was left by herself in the forever stretching forest. She lay down on her back, arms resting on grass. The sun was now hiding behind the mountain, a golden arc shining from behind, dyed rare clouds in colors most beautiful. She watched as they passed leaving a blue sky behind, it filled her with serenity she hadn't felt in a while.  
Rushing wind suddenly picked up, changing its course in a flash. It blew, softly grazing her skin, pollen it carried passed by in white clouds and filled the air with a familiar sweet scent. Distant sounds of the forest became clear with the wind. Casey closed her eyes listening: quiet chirps of different birds, rustles in grass and bushes as small creatures ran past and the sound of wind, she loved it all.  
She didn't know how long had passed when she started drifting away. The sounds and scents around her, sensation of earth and grass beneath her, everything began to blend together and fade to nothing.

 _"Strange… too strange"_ – her senses warned pushing her closer to consciousness – _"it's not right, it's dangerous"_  
Casey's eyes shot open, very soon she found herself in a sitting position, her gaze fruitlessly scanning every inch of the dark woods around, her breath and heart refusing to calm.  
There was something there, she heard it, sensed it. And, apparently, Cinis did too, he had his head perked up right next to her, his softly glimmering eyes fixed to the distance. But the few rays that were slowly vanishing weren't nearly enough for them to track it.  
It seemed like it was gone, as if it only briefly passed by. She doubted it ever stopped.  
The horse was standing right next to her, she hopped on. The fear from before still remained, making her heart beat faster. Her throat was drying with every quick breath she took. Every fabric of her being told her to leave, so why couldn't she?

Taking a deep breath she moved forward, that question echoing inside her head for a little while longer. Once in the shadows of countless trees her senses concentrated on her surroundings solely. She tried to listen to every little noise, notice small changes around, but the forest was quiet and still. It bothered her, it seemed too calm, at least at first glance.  
She wanted to find what awoke her. She let out a dry chuckle at one of her own thoughts: she was perfectly fine with finding a wolf, a bear, pretty much any creature there could appear as long as it wasn't a human, she subconsciously hoped it wasn't.  
 _"Since when is their safety my priority?"_ – She mentally scolded herself _– "Since when am I not concerned about my own?"_

She came to a halt, her gaze pinned on her hands. She felt stupid for trying this, for the thought that it might've worked the way she wanted it to. She could've hurt herself, could've lose her way. Even if she was in a familiar area, the paths were now almost completely covered in darkness.  
Casey shook her head, trying to clear her mind, and turned around. It was long past time to get home.

She couldn't sleep that night, both because of her long nap earlier and because of thoughts flooding her mind. It was about one in the morning when she got up, giving up on sleep for a while. She carefully made her way through the house and into her studio.  
Without a second thought she put an unfinished painting on the easel and began her work. She hoped it would distract her from all that happened and her own actions she didn't understand, she was counting on it. And it helped, for a bit she lost herself in world she saw on the canvas and paint, one not yet there.  
Soon she smiled to herself when she felt tired again, her eyelids feeling heavy. She stretched, cracking her back and quietly made her way back.

It didn't seem much for her, but the sleep that fallowed was peaceful, even if short.


	7. Trip

The tip of a brush gently put a tiny stroke on a mixture of grey and blue of the canvas. Casey's eyes, not even for a second, leaving its surface, hazel orbs completely absorbed in the storm white paint was slowly creating.  
The sun was well over horizon when she put everything away and stood up. Stretching her arms and back she, for a couple of seconds, stared at her work. Peaks of snowy mountains seemed to be trapped in two layers of clouds. Few rays of golden light, breaking through, dyed one side of the mountains, while the other was absorbed in blizzard. She didn't even know if it was possible, but adored the result.  
"Done" – she smiled to herself. All that was left was to let the paint dry.

On her way to the bathroom she checked the time, there wasn't much time left until the Eramans arrived. According to her mother the older couple decided to join in for the little Ebott tour. Honestly speaking, she was glad they did, but at the same time felt uneasy about it. Taking that many humans so close to an Underground entrance wasn't her favorite idea, she knew she'd have to take paths further away from it.  
She let out a sigh looking at her bare feet when warm water rushed down calming her nerves. Occasionally a colorful stain would appear under her feet as another paint spot cleared from her arms, neck and face.  
Her gaze froze as she watched the process repeat few more times, yet she barely noticed. Her mind was stuck on the past. It's been more than a week since she last saw Sans, so long since they talked. Papyrus, on the other hand, had few days off, with Undyne being away.  
She was happy to see him twice in such a short time, she adored him more each time. His naïve personality and childish stories and rambles that, somehow, had hints of maturity in them became dear to her. But now it felt weird when he was alone, as if something was missing, it felt empty.  
"But why not the other way around?" – She muttered, angry at herself.  
Papyrus was her best friend, since the day they talked and grew to know each other he had a special place in her life and now…

"Casey, they're already here, honey" – her mom's voice came in a half whisper. It was surprising she heard her at all.  
Pushing all thoughts to the back of her mind the girl hurried to finish. It wouldn't be too polite to make the guests wait. It didn't take long for her to dry her hair and get dressed in a simple black tank top and a pair of dark red pants. After all there wasn't anything special planned, there was no need to put too much effort.  
In about half an hour she was in front of their house where everyone else was waiting. The two siblings were sitting not too far from the front door, they didn't notice her presence, their eyes eagerly looking for something in the pages of a notebook the girl was holding. Unfortunately they weren't close enough for her to hear them clearly. Tearing her eyes from the small object Casey took a couple of steps forward. There lost in, at the first glance, confusing conversation were the parents. She didn't want to interrupt them, but stepped closer anyway. Luckily the tall man noticed the girl's approach, saving her from an uncomfortable situation.

"It's been a while, my girl. How have you been?" – His cheery voice called out.  
Tugging few strands of hair behind an ear the girl smiled, twinkle in her hazel eyes evident even more. She felt more confident with her actions and picking up her pace she soon found herself right in front of the man.  
"Quite well, sir, thank you" – she was about to ask him the same when her voice was drowned in a laughter causing her to jump a little. The older man seemed to be in a really good mood.  
"Sir? That's a first" – he said between the chuckles – "I like her"  
Casey couldn't help but smile. Even if they met only twice she felt like she could trust him with most things. She had a similar feeling about his wife too, though much weaker. Since the black-haired woman was mostly quiet the girl didn't have a chance to learn much about her, though she didn't mind. Everything will come in due time.  
It wasn't long before their group grew in number, with the siblings now standing right next to Casey. She figured their father's loud voice distracted them from whatever they were doing.

As they walked towards the stables the young girl found herself between Lucy and Mrs. Eraman. The woman's calming voice soon sounded and her large black eyes rested on Casey's hazel ones.  
"How did your date go?" – She questioned. The girl only tilted her head with a quiet hum, her gaze holding a somewhat puzzled expression.  
"Last week, I mean. When you couldn't meet us" – she continued with a smile – "oh and please forgive us. I insisted on that without asking first"  
For a couple of seconds Casey remained silent. Mrs. Eraman sounded sincere, but she could only guess whether the woman's words were true or she merely took the blame. She appreciated her gesture. But either way it didn't really matter, she'd let it rest.  
"Don't worry about it" – she shook her head – "but who told you about a date?"  
"Oh, Eilis did"  
"Is that so?" – She glanced at her mother for a moment, a small smile present on her lips - "Well, she misunderstood, I simply promised a friend I'd meet him"  
"I see" – the woman smiled wider. It was obvious that she didn't believe, but hinting at it would only lead to an awkward situation. After all she held no evidence.  
"I mean" – Casey went on in a calm voice, her eyes watching the ground, as if talking to herself – "I barely know him"  
"You mean you met up with a guy you _barely know_ instead of us?" – Lucy was now looking up from her cell phone, her eyes filled with betrayal. Could she get even more dramatic?  
"Aren't you the same?" – Casey's question caught her off guard, her eyes widened in disbelief, mouth opening and closing few time without making a sound as she threw few glances at her mother. But Casey couldn't see her response, never cared to check.

The younger girl was about to say something when Eilis' voice pierced through the hanging silence between them.  
"Should we head out?" – She asked, though it felt more like an instruction.  
Everyone nodded, each stepping to a horse, the siblings shared one.  
"Did you get them from the town?" – Casey asked pointing at three unfamiliar horses, while getting on Cinis herself. The family nodded.  
"Why are they keeping them anyway?" – Nye spoke up: indeed a rare occasion.  
"Many people use horses instead of cars here, since there aren't many roads around, as you can see. But since people can't keep horses in the town they built stables outside of the main gates. There are few horses that belong to rich people there, but mainly they keep some so people can rent, sort of"  
The words sounded, but Casey didn't hear it entirely, didn't even register who spoke. Her mind was flooded with thoughts and images, mental maps of the paths she could take to avoid the Underground entirely, but show something at least.  
 _"There's a nice place in the south…"_ – she thought, staring at the mountain that was slowly inching closer – _"southwest too"_

"Are you going there a lot" – a calm male's voice reached her from the left. Glancing over she saw the siblings right next to her. Lucy was staring at the grey horse that was calmly following a familiar path, in awe. Nye, on the other hand, locked his gaze with its rider awaiting an answer.  
"I try to" – Casey said almost instantly – "with the school starting soon I won't have as much time anymore"  
"Don't you get lost? It's so big" – his sister had broken out of her daze.  
"I did a couple of times, long ago. But now I try to use routes I know"  
"Don't you explore?"  
"I don't rush with it. When I find a new place I try to memorize it and get familiar before moving on"  
"Why?"  
"So I don't get lose" – Casey laughed and heard the adults grow silent.  
She carefully glanced back only to find them whispering between each other, wide smiles painted on their faces. She didn't need to hear them to know what they were discussing or who, to be precise.  
She chose to ignore them for the time, the other two seemed to have a similar idea. The one to talk the most during the ride was Lucy, obviously. If she wasn't bombarding Casey with questions she would talk about herself or her brother. Luckily she did keep quiet ever once in a while, giving the other two rare chances to rest their mind and collect their thoughts.

The group wasn't moving too fast, it was quite different from her usual pace. She didn't really mind though, that would just mean less time on the mountain and more chances to stay in and explore the few places she thought of.  
It wasn't long for Lucy's rambling to stop completely as she stared at the large peak now towering over them. Apparently even she could run out of topics to talk about. Casey smiled slightly at that thought.  
But her worry returned when she found herself at the base of the mountain already. A male's voice sounded from behind. Though it was present at, almost, all times, now it was louder and directed at her.  
"So, where to now?" – Mr. Eraman asked getting closer. She looked forward narrowing her eyes, she'd rather keep them away altogether, but she knew she wouldn't be able to give a reason for it. If anything she'd only appear suspicious, she could make things worse for the ones she wanted to protect.  
Why did she want to protect them so desperately? There didn't seem to be a reason, at least she couldn't think of one to save her life. She told herself it was because of their friendship, but deep down she knew that wasn't the case, not all of it at least. So why…?  
"What would you like to see?" – She spoke pushing back the thoughts, hoping to lock them for now.  
"You're the guide. I'm fine with anything you've got" – the man shrugged and the girl watched his wife nod, seemingly, in sync with his words.  
She briefly glanced at both her mom and the two siblings, they didn't react in any way. So it really was up to her, in a way it was beneficial: no one could complain regardless of her choice.  
"On we go then" – Casey mumbled, more to herself than anything turning right, where, she remembered, was a way up.

The path went on for a while, twisting between old and young trees. Sometimes it vanished from view and it seemed like they were lost with no way to move forward, sometimes for a moment other times for several minutes five people blindly followed a girl in hopes she'd lead them out. And each time she did.  
At first, they questioned her knowledge quite a few times, sounding either scared, skeptical or plain desperate. Casey did her best to answer accordingly and it wasn't long before they grew silent, only occasionally chatting with each other.

With the pace they were moving at, it took them a little over an hour to reach their destination. The path widened, trees lined up in neat rows on both sides, as if forced out of the way. Dark brown, almost black, soil locked in between lanes of grass and moss lead further into darkening forest. But Casey took a turn to her left going down a small hill. There, not far from where the group was, a soft glimmer of water's surface peeked through thick branches: still and silent it wasn't easy to spot.  
Mere seconds later they were beyond the green wall. A lake was spreading in front of them, its clear water reflecting the sky like a mirror. It wasn't too big, but the combination of blue, green, white and grey that dyed this place made it look unreal, in a way, as if it was part of a tale that shouldn't have existed it this world. The silence surrounding it made it serene and even more mesmerizing.  
Steep cliffs rose high blocking access to the rest of the mountain, locking the small haven from the rest of the world. The part of woods they came through seemed to be the only way that didn't require rock climbing.

 _"This should be enough for today"_ – Casey though swiftly jumping down from the grey mount.  
While taking some of the equipment off of Cinis she threw few glances at her companions that were now standing behind her, trying to take in everything around. At least that's what it looked like to her.  
She smiled to herself seeing the reactions from others. The adults only exchanged few words with each other while pointing at the distance, Lucy froze by the shore, cold water grazing her feet every so often. Nye, on the other hand, looked unfazed, didn't say anything, didn't show anything. He sat down on a hollow log, staring at the barely visible waves. Despite that Casey knew he liked everything, maybe even more than others, he simply didn't show it. It was so obvious, emotions plainly written in his eyes waiting for someone to read them.

Casey stepped closer to the edge of water watching the scenery herself. It's been a while since she was here and now she realized how much she missed it. Stretching out she felt newfound energy boil within her, she wanted to explore everything all over again, reach the cliffs and beyond. With a wide smile painted on her lips she looked around.  
"Like what you see?" – She asked. None from the group answered right away, but she knew they heard her. Small and short movements, that some never noticed, were made simultaneously with her voice evidenced that.  
After a while it became obvious that for a while they weren't going to answer, so she left them be for the time being. Her mom had told how the family lived in a city all their lives. The town, the nature, all was new to them and to their delight all was pleasant and charming. She felt excitement to share what she so loved with other people, it was a refreshing feeling, something new for her… No that wasn't the case: she always wanted to do that, but the people surrounding her were never worthy, never good enough to see inside of her.

Glancing back one more time she walked further away. There a large rock stood by the shore, its sharp tip hanging over the water, few thin streams of ice cold water seeped through narrow cracks on its sides and dripped slowly into the lake.  
She climbed up and stood on top of it, her gaze carefully scanning the area around. She missed that place.  
But the smile that was decorating her soft features vanished as she glanced into the distance. There was someone else she wanted to see right there, next to her.  
"Sans…" – she muttered under her breath, her eyes now fixed on thumbs rubbing against each other as thoughts of her friend flooded her mind.  
She tried to understand why she missed him so much in just a week. That never happened with her, not even once, not with anyone. It scared her that even with her dad it took longer for her to feel something similar.  
That was because she didn't get to spend enough time with the skeleton, wasn't it? Because he was a new friend she still had to share many experiences… Because he had never seen the surface before. Her eyes widened in realization, the answer was that simple, that was all she wanted: to show him the world.  
Unfortunately it didn't make things easier in the slightest, didn't make the weak sting in her chest go away.

"Casey, you wanna join us?" – Her mother's voice returned her to reality and she looked down at her. She was standing so close, strangely she never noticed or heard her approach – "Lora just told me they prepared few thing for a small picnic, well, sort of. But most importantly they have food" – she continued laughing quietly before concern took over – "what's wrong?"  
The question made the girl realize that she was still wearing the same expression, hurt and sad. She quickly shook her head and smiled.  
"I just thought how nice it would've been if dad was here" – she lied, thought this time it felt wrong.  
She felt like that should've been the case, she should've missed him more, yet she didn't… couldn't.  
"Oh, honey. We just need to wait a bit longer, he'll be home soon"  
Casey nodded, her soft voice muttering only two words: "I know". Somehow that made her feel better, much better.  
In few seconds she was walking by the ginger woman, joking and laughing about silly things she saw on internet that day. They soon reached the small rocky area they stepped on when first exited the forest. Passing it they headed to an even clearing where the family was waiting. Short grass and rare flowers were covering the ground, a small blue blanket was placed as far from water as possible, which, despite their best efforts, wasn't much. Few mosquitoes could already be seen nearby, Casey could only hope they'd stay away.

Trying to stay optimistic she focused her attention on food. There wasn't much, just enough for a light snack. Judging by that they weren't going to stay there long, but she doubted that would be the end of it. Knowing Eilis, she would probably invite the family for dinner. Marvelous.  
As much as she enjoyed their company at the moment she knew she'd crave for alone time once back home.  
 _"Oh well. I'll worry about it when the times comes"_ – she thought shrugging to herself.  
The two were noticed only when they were standing right next to the blanket and the older woman called out, in other words: way too late.  
"Casey!" – Lucy's overly cheerful voice rang through air before the girl was dragged to the opposite side of the small banquet that was neatly arranged in front of them.  
She was forced to sit between two siblings, though she never protested, so she couldn't complain. On the other hand maybe it would be better that way, maybe the black-haired girl could distract her confused mind. But it wasn't that easy, nothing ever was.

"So" – Lucy began crossing her legs like others – "about your friend that is definitely not your boyfriend" – she chirped the last word – "do you think we can meet him?"  
Now she was curious? She didn't seem too fond of him earlier that day. Either way she was asking for an impossible, even if unintentionally. For some reason it angered Casey, but, as always, she didn't show anything. It wouldn't make things any better if she did.  
"Sorry, it won't be possible for the time being" – she gave the two an apologetic look.  
"Why not, you treasure him too much?" – Nye's question was unexpected. She'd never think he was interested in any way. And as if answering that question he added smiling – "come on, I just want to make a friend, since I don't really know anyone here yet"  
Why did it feel like he was mocking her? That was strange.  
"Personal reasons" – Casey stated shortly. Their smiles dropped when they realized they couldn't question her any further regarding that matter – "Why are you so curious anyway?"  
"Last time you didn't even mention a friend" – the brother said munching on a sandwich – "and according to your mom she didn't know anything either, so we were curious"  
"You didn't speak much either, Nye, but I'm not demanding anything, am I?" – As she spoke the two grew quiet and for a moment she thought the adults did too, but words came out before that thoughts registered – "and besides, you're asking me about someone else. I don't have the right to tell you anything, unless he allows me to"

"Honey" – a quiet whisper sounded after a long silence – "am I seeing things, or did that girl just shut our kids up?"  
"To be fair, that wasn't much. Not this time at least" – Casey said in a small voice. She didn't expect that, or any kind of reaction from anyone, and frankly, it made her a bit uncomfortable.  
She tried her best to ignore the other comments coming from the man and his children. It proved to be quiet easy after she realized they were mainly talking to each other seemingly forgetting from what the conversation even started. With the kids trying to explain themselves it, somehow, sounded a lot like complaining while their father laughed and teased them. At one point it became kind of annoying and funny at the same time, but Casey never showed it.

To distract herself from what was troubling she threw a couple of glances at her mother, but she was too preoccupied with her phone through the whole ordeal. Both of the older women had their eyes glued to the screens of their devices. They looked excited at one point and let out frustrated sighs or muffled curses the other, but almost never in sync. They seemed to be playing a game of some sort, actually Casey was sure they were.  
She smiled a little looking at them. Her mom didn't really have many close friends despite her bright personality, she was, most often, found wrapped in her work. And now it was refreshing to see her relax and have fun.  
 _"That's, probably, what she wants to see too_ " – she thought attempting to bite into the food she was holding only to find her hand empty – _"right, I finished it… genius"_

After a short hesitation and another chicken sandwich she got up.  
For some reason she felt nervous at the thought of staying alone with people she didn't know that well. Even if there were only two of them and she had a great advantage in that area. It wasn't familiar, but unlike them she, at least, knew what to expect. Yet she'd rather go alone… she'd rather go with Sans.  
 _* That's new.*_

"Wanna go there?" – She finally asked pointing at cliffs in the distance, their sharp tops seemingly piercing the sky – "to the opposite side"  
The siblings, now quiet, glanced at her, their gaze slowly following her stretched out arm. Without a sound they looked at each other as if asking for other's opinion and confirming that their thoughts were similar.  
It took Lucy no more than a second to, practically, jump up in excitement. Predictable, yet, to everyone's delight, not any less amusing to watch. Nye was a lot calmer, but compared to his usual self, seemed eager too.

Casey let out a barely audible giggle when they reacted as she planned. Even though that wasn't too hard to predict, she felt proud of her accomplishment.  
The two stood by the edge of the water almost too quickly, looking back at her as if telling to walk faster, which she didn't do. Her gaze traveled back and forth along the long grey wall as she looked for a path to take trough large rocks occupying the left shore. She remembered seeing one earlier and soon it was in her sight, its end peeking from, what it looked like, a wide crack.  
Sharp rocks towered above the three students, numerous cracks covering their edges, threatening to crumble. The bottom of rocks on both sides was soaked in shallow water, small waves constantly bending the darkened line above the surface.

With her palm gently touching the uneven grey matter she walked further into ice cold water. Her gaze was locked on few small, round stones that indicated her destination as if the path could vanish.  
Peeking from behind a corner she followed the road and sure enough it went on for a while. For only a moment she looked back, making sure two figures followed while the others talked among each other in the distance.  
The silent conversation Lucy and Nye had on the way made her wonder if all siblings could do that. If it was easy for them to communicate without words and what the extent of it really was. She wanted to ask, for a moment she was going to, but held herself back when an image of constantly talking Lucy came to mind.

She concentrated on the task at hand: the road, blocking away all other unnecessary thoughts. The path was crooked, breaches of it coming into view every couple of minutes making it look like a labyrinth. Though, at first glance, it seemed like a trap with routs intertwining and looping around steep cliffs, leaving identical narrow paths to take, Casey knew it wouldn't be that hard to get through. Few times she stopped, to look around, to listen, to focus. At that moments the world seemed different, every little detail served as a guide, waiting for her to notice and read.

It felt like an eternity had passed when they were out, their parents waving from afar almost instantly. Their small forms blending with thick, dark forest behind. They returned the gesture mainly to make sure they won't freak out.  
Casey looked around, there didn't seem to be much there. She was standing in a wide area, grey and white stone covering the ground, creating walls that separated everything within from the woods and the sun, or so it seemed. In a narrow crack in front of her she saw few golden rays shine illuminating the ground. There had to be an opening of some sort and she wanted to see it, she felt the glee of discovering something for the first time in forever. The path to her target was safe, rocks stood steady creating something resembling steps. She took a note how they were aligned, almost like on purpose as if part of something larger.

"How did you know where to go?" – A quiet voice sounded from behind reminding that she wasn't alone. Nye was pointing at the clutter of rocks they walked out not too long ago.  
"Simple" – she shrugged, a proud smile covering her lips – "I made sure the water was always on the right and walked as close to it as possible"  
"But, how. We couldn't see it, not even once"  
"I could hear it"  
"There was no sound of water" – he plainly stated, sounding somewhat confident.  
He tried to hide the mixture of confusion and doubt in his voice. He really didn't hear anything, did he? It made an unknown, strange feeling rise in her when she realized she could guide them, teach them. She never thought she would want to.  
"It's not something you can just hear randomly, you have to listen carefully" – she smiled, now warmer – "try to pay attention on our way back"  
The boy didn't respond, only glanced back rubbing the back of his head.

"Where to now?" – Lucy's energy could be felt through her voice as she ran towards them.  
"Come" – Casey stated shortly climbing a, relatively small rock not far from her – "if I'm correct we'll see something really nice soon"  
"What do you mean _if_ you're correct? You do know where we're going, right?" – The younger girl's voice turned somewhat worried as she asked a question after another.  
Was there a problem? There wasn't anything dangerous ahead, so why worry now? Casey brought them that far, so she assumed they'd trust her by now. It made her feel uneasy, even when she didn't promise the two anything in particular she didn't want to disappoint them.  
"Nope. Never been here before" – she simply said, her expression not giving away any of her worries – "but that's the fun part of exploring, isn't it?"  
She didn't really care whether they'd stay with her or not, if they wanted to go back she'd lead them. She didn't expect them to understand, most people didn't. But Lucy beamed, climbing up to her.

Letting out a small chuckle, unexpected to herself, she turned around heading for what she saw upon reaching the curious place. After several minutes all three were on a higher ground. Leaving behind the narrow entrance and about dozen of rocks of different sizes that made a, gradually widening, path. Some of them were aligned so perfectly that it was hard to believe that it wasn't man made.  
A large gap in tall cliffs was now in front of them, opening a window to the rest of the world.

Southern horizon was far ahead, bathed in warm colors of the afternoon sun. Only few small hills were present in the distance, surrounded by several houses with colorful roofs and a couple of dozen fields. Crops in most: fully grown.  
Glimpses of a river partially painted the line between sky and earth, occasionally hiding its presence from view.

Casey's attention diverted and she jumped back a little, clutching her chest in attempt to calm her rapidly beating heart, when two voices engaged in a heated conversation too suddenly after dead silence. She had a hard time understanding half of what they said and after a short while gave up trying to.  
Taking few steps back from the edge she scanned the wide square area that was trapped between two walls, each no less than ten meters long, their cracked surface: once flat and even. It, once again, seemed man-made, like a giant gateway. Her hand resting on the wall traced its every crack as she looked up, in hopes to find a clue. Her eyes widened darting down to her stomach when she felt something strange under her fingers. Crouching down she attempted to clean the area in search of something resembling an arc. As dust fell she saw traces of something familiar: circles, lines and arcs, familiar writings. All was faded, broken, yet she could see it, even if worse than last time. The arc she felt before traced up with two rows of writings on one side, far above her head it connected with another circle, this one larger, more complicated in its structure.  
Casey took few steps back. With each she could see the scene before her more clearly.  
It was huge, connecting about a dozen of rings with one large one. Some were barely bigger than her palm, others seemed endless with rows of glyphs following one another all the way to the center.  
She glanced back for a brief moment, but after finding the opposite wall empty tuned back staring at the symbol.

"This is gonna be a pain to draw" – she groaned to herself after a while thinking about the time she'll spend writing – "Sans will definitely appreciate it though… He's gonna love it" – she smiled.  
"Appreciate what?" – A young male's voice sounded few feet away from her.  
Looking over she realized that their voices died a while ago, yet she didn't notice it.  
 _* Oh right, I don't really care, what a relief. *_  
"You've been staring at that wall for a while now" – he continued returning her focus back to this realm. Hint of confusion was in his voice, which wasn't surprising considering how little they still could notice.  
"Yap, for like twenty minutes to be exact" – Lucy said glancing at her phone.  
"Wait, what? I know I took my time, but that much? Really?"  
They nodded in response, their gaze flickering between her and the cliff. For a few moments Casey remained silent trying to figure out a believable explanation for it all. She mumbled few complains under her breath after coming up with none.

"So… what did you see?" – Nye's voice, once again, broke the silence.  
"The carvings" – she uttered shortly, pointing forth.  
He narrowed his eyes and stepped closer. A quiet 'where?' came soon after. So he really couldn't see, she remembered how long it took her to pay attention to everything, so that was normal, it had to be. But on the other hand she couldn't shake off the feeling that it was magic that allowed her to see. She made a mental note to ask Sans next time they met.  
Letting out a small sigh she led the boy and his sister closer. Leaning on the rough stone she crouched, only now realizing how many cracks were covering it, making it almost impossible to make out any small detail. The idea of magic directly affecting her became stronger, it excited her, yet was still bizarre. But at that moment she was happy more than anything, happy to have met Papyrus when she did, now for another reason too.

"Look" – she half-whispered pointing at the arc she first noticed.  
Following the tip of her finger as it outlined the ring and pointed at few, still visible, writings their black eyes widened in triumph as if they were the ones that actually found it.  
Now a lot more lively they asked Casey to show more or encouraged each other to search for some. It was fun to watch them fuss about it as they walked or sometimes even sprinted from one side of the wall to the other, stood on tip toes or crouched to see better. In the end they didn't find much, especially compared to what was in front of Casey's eyes, but she never mentioned it pretending to see the same and the two seemed to be satisfied.

Sitting on the edge of the cliff the three, for a long while, discussed what it could've been, how old or new it was, who carved it in such a place and why. Random theories were born left and right, first serious and well thought out, then grew crazier with each new one. They were devoid of any logic and meaning, yet proved to be more intriguing and fun to dive into.  
Some of the weirder theories came out of Casey's mouth, while she constantly reminded herself to choose each word and thought carefully. Obviously they wouldn't believe her if she accidentally said something about monsters or consider it a possibility at all, but even then she didn't want to risk it. If there were monsters under the mountain there bound to be legends.

The sun, now leaning lower over the west illuminated the world below in darkening light. Gold was slowly turning into fiery orange when Mrs. Eraman called her son with instructions to head back. Lucy mumbled few complains while trailing behind.  
"Considering how long it took us to get here, this isn't a bad decision. We really should head back" – Casey responded and the black-haired girl froze for a moment stuttering. She seemed genuinely surprised by her response, or rather by the existence of one. Her voice was quiet and she wasn't too close to the hazel-eyed girl, that was enough for her to assume she wouldn't be heard.  
"If you spend as much time in forest as I did, you'd hear too" – Casey said, Lucy only stared – "you already can, actually. You're just used to city noise and, I guess, block out many sound here as well"  
"What the hell. Are you reading my mind or something?"  
The girl laughed tucking few loose strands of wavy brown hair behind an ear. She glanced back and shrugged, a playful grin not ceasing.  
"Could be. But trust me I didn't have to, your reaction told me enough"

Few drops of rain fell rushing them further, the conversation cut short. Entering the rocky labyrinth once more Casey hurried forth looking back every so often to make sure she was still followed, secretly wishing she was alone at that moment.  
It was easier to navigate through numerous routs now that the rain made noise upon lake's surface and after few more minutes the little path leading down to cold water's edge opened up. Casey ran over not so steady rock, to say the least, and made her way to the shore as she watched few fish swim away from movement of each step.  
The siblings rushed to their parents, their voices excited, but the words muffled for her. She felt exhausted both mentally and physically, even though she didn't move as much as she often did. Her mother noticed it asking if everything was alright, adding that she needed a sleep. Casey smiled and nodded, didn't speak. For some reason making a sound felt too troublesome, too tiring.  
What she wanted the most was to get home and draw: the curves, the yet unknown symbols. Her mind hurried her to do so, warned that she'll forget, but she knew she simply couldn't. She chuckled thinking how weird magic was and how long it will take her to begin getting used to it.

The way back was much quicker, mainly because they were moving downwards. Most of the time it was quiet and serene, it let her mind roam and rest.  
Occasionally she looked around to make sure they weren't lost, giving Cinis few directions along the way before leaving reality behind once again.

Before she knew it they were at the base of the mountain, out of the forest's shadow, yet the world was cloaked in haze more than before. The sun hid itself behind thick, grey clouds and mist lay motionless over the wide field.  
They didn't linger for long, there was need to, no energy or desire. Why was everyone so tired was beyond her, but she decided not to question it.  
It seemed to have only been a moment when Casey found herself by their doorstep thanking the Havens that their guests decided to take their leave.

After she and Eilis finished few, more important, tasks in the farm which included feeding animals and such they headed inside for dinner.  
With all that done the young girl went to her room with two large pieces of paper. Setting one down on the floor she sat before it and began her work. Just like last time each form she could place with ease and, this time too, the parts she never saw came to her mind in a flash. She loved that feeling despite it being extremely trippy most of the time.  
Once done with it she proceeded to what was immensely harder. She began to write, her hand moving before her mind could register the result. With each glyph added to the paper the image became clearer. She wanted to continue, to finish it, but not even halfway through she felt her eyes closing.

Clumsily putting on her pajamas she climbed into bed and curled into a ball. A smile grew on her face when a though of two skeletons crossed her mind. She wanted to see them, to see Sans, to show him what she had found. He'd be happy with it, she knew he would.

An image of his genuine, warm smile appeared for a split second before fading to black as sleep claimed her.


	8. History

About a month was left until the end of summer. Eilis, getting some time off from work, agreed to let Casey visit the mountain more often instead of taking care of the farm most of the time. Not the best activity, but she didn't complain, she knew she had to help her parents out.

It has been few days since she's been by the opening in hopes to meet at least one of the skeletons, but all she found were the books she lent Sans and a small note written on a piece of crumbled paper. It contained only two lines.  
'I'm finished with these, so I need more books.  
Come see me this Sunday'  
She made a mental note for herself not to forget, even though it was practically impossible. Sunday came by painfully slow, until then she tried her best to distract herself, which included drawing, a lot of drawing. She managed to finish the giant circle twice, on the backside of each she wrote down everything that was too small or hard to read anywhere on the drawing. She was happy with the result and the fact that she was done, now she prayed to not find another one in near future. As much as she loved recreating them, it was a tedious work she wanted to take a break from.

Crouching on her studio floor Casey carefully folded a brown paper around a square frame before tying it with soft brown rope.  
With the bundle in one hand and a large rolled paper in another she carefully opened the door with her toes and stepped into an empty hallway. Quiet voice of a news broadcaster could be heard from behind a closed door. She briefly looked around to make sure her mom wasn't around and made her way to the front door.  
A short ring from her pocket and a weak vibration made her jump a little, barely holding back from shrieking. Surprisingly it eased her nerves a little right after, while the anger rose.  
 _"Seriously, asshole?"_ – She cursed in her mind – _"when I'm being sneaky?"_  
She breathed out looking back one more time. What she was trying to do was a bit stupid in her opinion, but she couldn't think of any other way. If she was seen her mom would definitely become curious about the content of the bundle. Being a present for Papyrus she knew she couldn't explain herself, at the moment avoiding the problem seemed to be the best decision.

Going around the house she quickly approached Cinis and proceeded to securing the bundle behind the black saddle she equipped in advance. With all the thoughts going through her head she couldn't help but play a scene in her mind of what would've happened if her mom saw one of the skeletons one day. The answer was quite simple: she'd freak out big time, that's what.  
The young girl let out a sigh and turned around heading back to the house when she realized she still had her slippers on. Cinis walked close behind her, silently listening as she spoke with him.

Casey was already leaving when Eilis' voice called for her from a nearby window.  
"You didn't forget your rifle, did you?" – Was her question.  
"No… why?" – Casey raised a brow, but the woman was silent – "mom?"  
"A man went missing. They say it was near the mountain"  
"Again? This is 5th case already"  
"All in one year. I'm afraid it's like we thought, it's not as simple as most people make it, it's far from it. And, of course the police wouldn't say anything useful"  
"What are they trying to achieve by hiding things. Wouldn't it be better to warn people?" – Casey sighed. Of course there was a chance of panic, but saying that those people were simply unfortunate didn't seem like the best course of action. Especially now, when it was getting more and more obvious that something was off. Very off.  
They weren't the only ones thinking that someone was behind it, she have heard some folk talking about it. Obviously there were some who blamed the government, but Casey doubted that was the case.  
She shook her head shooing those thoughts, she hoped the situation would be resolved soon, prayed that everyone was safe and sound.

"I'll be careful" – she said after a while and her mother nodded – "I promise"  
With that she was gone, unclear emotions nudging on her heart. Sure she was worried for the people missing, but everyone around knew better than to wonder in an unknown territory. That is if the territory was unfamiliar, after all most of the folk around, at least, knew the basic layout of the place. In the end, as much as she hated it, someone's involvement was the most probable explanation.  
But what scared her the most was the presence that seemingly followed her through the woods. That thought crossed her mind the moment her mother talked about the news, the moment she looked worried.

A part of her was still convinced that it was her paranoia speaking, that it was nothing more than a wild animal, but it was oddly convenient that it appeared then, with the events still fresh. It scared her and, at the same time, angered her. It felt like, whatever it was, was now messing with her.  
She shook her head smirking a little. That wasn't the case, her mind was preparing her for what was to come, creating connections where there could be none. Giving her a reason to always stay on guard and sharpen her senses. She let it.  
"I'd rather be ready for the worst, than be taken by surprise" – she whispered to herself looking around for the first time. Most of the way was now behind her, few more minutes and she'd meet him.

She calmed down a bit remembering what she was there for. Getting off of the horse Casey sat down in front of a dark cavern, a soft smile on her lips, like she always did. There, in a spot painted with gold, was her friend, his signature lazy grim on his face.  
At first glance he seemed asleep, so Casey did her best to keep quiet, but the moment her form appeared over the entrance his eyes opened, one after another.  
"Hi" – she greeted cheerfully – "I hope you weren't waiting long, it took me a while to get ready"  
"What do ya mean 'a while'? It's barely past seven now" – he said and her expression shifted as if she was oblivious of the time until now.  
He watched her stand up again, walking to the large grey creature by the trees not far away. From a black leather bag she took out two large books, some papers and slung something made mostly of metal over her shoulder. Something he didn't remember seeing before, but one that gave him a bad feeling.

"What's that?" – He asked pointing at the item.  
Casey quickly glanced at the things in her hands then to her side and, raising one shoulder, let out a hum asking for confirmation. Sans nodded, small lights in his eye sockets following the girl as she sat down crossing her legs. He couldn't look away from the thing, it felt like he'd miss something vital if he did.  
"A gun" – she simply said as if it was supposed to be obvious. But seeing him raise a brow realized it wasn't, not with him at least.  
"It's a type of weapon" – she explained feeling weird about teaching him. Though it happened before, this time was different, this time she was revealing something dreadful about humans, about herself.  
"A weapon for what?" – His smile dropped, it seemed like he already knew the answer.  
"To protect myself"  
Casey slid the books she had into the cave. Sans picked them up, but looked completely uninterested in them. His gaze was locked with hers. Was he trying to read her thoughts? Her emotions? She didn't want that, but didn't do anything to prevent it, although she herself didn't know why.

"Protect ya from what?" – He finally asked after a seemingly endless silence.  
"I don't know yet… Something's not right here" – she looked down as she spoke, pondering whether she should tell him – "people had gone missing" – she uttered quickly before she'd have a chance to stop herself.  
Looking up she saw Sans still gazing at her, now slightly worried, slightly puzzled.  
"Some are convinced that they are simply lost in the woods, but all this is strange. It's not common for this place, you know? You can count similar cases of the last decade on one hand, while there were five in less than one year. Too many disappearances in a short period of time. Doesn't seem like a coincidence, don't you think?"  
He didn't respond. Sitting in a chair he, probably, dragged from home he rested his chin on one hand, leaning on a rock before him. He tapped an index finger on his cheekbone every few seconds merely humming after a short silence, asking her to continue.

"Mom and I think there's something bigger going on. Police must think so too, but they're keeping quiet, siding with the 'getting lost' theory. They don't have any leads, no clues or evidence, nothing to make a connection. On the other hand they probably want to make sure people don't panic, but I don't think their current actions are doing too good" – she spoke before taking a shaky breath – "Sans I think someone's behind it"  
The last part came as a whisper. She sighed letting a small part of her bottled up anxiety out.  
"That's why I've been carrying this thing with me wherever I went. Luckily it's not illegal here"  
"Don't be scared" – his voice, though rough, was soothing, she could tell he was trying to help – "I don't know what can be out there, but you gotta keep your cool. Be careful, always on your guard, but don't let fear get better of ya. Plus I take that thing is worth something" – he smiled looking at the rifle for a split second – "ya keep it close. You'll manage"

Casey nodded with a weak smile, but she still looked troubled. At that moment he wanted to reach for her, to calm and reassure her. He wished the barrier would disappear if only for a little bit.  
"Sans" – her warm voice sounded pulling him out of his daze – "something happened recently. I haven't told anyone, I don't know if I should"  
She stopped gathering her thoughts, memories and courage.  
"I heard something move in the forest. I've felt it watch me and I… I knew it was dangerous. I grabbed my gun once and it disappeared. I know it could've been a coincidence, but what if it was a human, what if they have something to do with disappearances?"  
"Where did it happen" – he asked ignoring her questions. His voice suddenly a lot more serious, for a moment it felt like he knew something she didn't.  
"A couple of times higher up the mountain, in the forest and once right next to… here"  
She said the last word reluctantly. She didn't want to have any reason to avoid that place. Even in face of danger she still wanted to meet them.  
"When?" – Sans asked not changing his tone. That worried her.  
"Last time we met. I fell asleep after you left and it was there. I tried to follow at first, but gave up, since it was too dark and I didn't know what or who I was dealing with"

"Sans, how did I sense it? Its movements and intentions, it was only briefly, but I sensed it. Was it also magic?"  
"I don't know, dove" – he shook his head – "I've never heard of magic having that kind of effect on someone, but then again it's different with each human"

Casey sighed in defeat. She told him everything that troubled her, but he couldn't give a solid answer or advice, not for most parts. To be fair it wasn't his problem to begin with, but he was the only one she was currently willing to talk to. She hoped he'd know something. A thought of missing people being stuck in the Underground crossed her mind, but since he didn't mention anything she figured that wasn't the case.  
A part of her still hoped it was true, then she'd know for sure at least someone is fine, but now there was hope they'd return.  
 _"But that's unlikely"_  
The girl shook her head trying to rid her mind from all negative thoughts.

Without making much noise she grabbed a large paper roll from her side, golden sunlight dyeing its edges and moving back towards her as she stuck it into the cave for the skeleton to grab. Sans took it with a curious expression, unfolding it. He carefully examined its content on both sides in silence.  
"I found it a few days ago" – she explained, he nodded – "It was so weird that others couldn't see half of it even after I pointed at it ten times. It's gonna be long before I'm used to all this" – she laughed.  
"There were people with you?" – Sans asked almost instantly. He felt anger bubble up in him, but he held it back. He knew he was being unreasonable, of course there would be times she'd be with friends. She might not be able to hide everything from them.

He tried not to show anything, but the words came out too easily – "don't ever show these to anyone. I still don't know how important they are. What are ya gonna do if humans get involved?"  
His tone was calm, yet harsh and cold, it almost sounded like a threat. She knew he was right, but couldn't suppress the uneasiness that appeared in her chest. For the first time in forever she frowned, then huffed in, somewhat, childish manner.  
"I couldn't have known I'd run into it" – she said loud and clear, her eyes fixed to the forest. She was visibly sulking and it ignited nothing but amusement in him – "but I suppose you're right. I should be more careful"

She heard him snort followed by a quiet laughter. She wanted to join in, but held herself back not wanting to give in too easily.  
"What do you think of it?" – She blurted out the first thing that came to mind in hopes to distract the man before her and it seemed to have worked. His attention went back to her work as he, once again, took out a pencil and began scribbling something on the side. She looked closely, but couldn't make out any words in the messy handwriting, it looked like a completely different language.  
"I hope it's correct" – she muttered – "I'm not so sure this time"  
Without looking up Sans stretched out his arm almost touching the barrier.  
"Gimme your hand" – he said throwing a couple of glances at her, she did.  
After few short seconds he let go and held up the drawing so she could see. Details in it popped out more the longer she looked.  
"See any mistakes?" – He asked after a long silence, she merely shook her head watching him flip the paper – "here?" – Once again the answer was negative – "then it's fine"

His voice was so calming all of a sudden, it eased her doubts. Only now did she realize how much they grew and how little it took him to reassure her. It became evident that she needed a confirmation.  
"What did my hand had to do with it?" – She suddenly questioned remembering something that happened less than a minute ago, one she managed to forget all about.  
"I made sure you stay connected to magic. Staring at a monster isn't enough, ya know"  
Casey tilted her head to the side, confusion visible in her eyes, silently asking for explanation. Sans chuckled at the sight and she raised a brow. _She was too cute._  
The skeleton casually leaned back in his chair now feeling more confident, about what, he could only guess. It must've been because of freedom so close to him, the surface just within his reach, a single human girl before him.

"Ya know why magic affects you, right?" – He asked before his thoughts could get larger.  
"You said it's because I met monsters" – she simply stated.  
"Right, but not quiet. It's because you had physical contact with one. Remember the first time we met? The moment you shook my hand it was triggered"  
Casey broke his gaze for a moment looking down at her palm then back at him still slightly confused.  
"What did you mean 'stay connected'? I can… disconnect?"  
"Usually magic would stay if you were near a monster every once in a while, but because of this" – he held his hand by the opening 'knocking' at the invisible force field with his boney finger – "it wears out after a while. And since we can't get your Soul here, or mine there I had to improvise"

The girl nodded, the puzzle pieces in her head creating a, more or less, vivid image. After he explained it made sense to her so much more, to the point where she asked herself why that thought never crossed her mind. For a moment she felt like she understood magic a lot better. Even if in reality she hardly did, the thought made her happy, it placed a wide goofy smile on her lips. After all magic was something she'd give a lot to learn, yet something she could never imagine was real.  
Driven with curiosity more than before she decided to ask what was bothering her from the day she met them.  
"Sans" – she called out and he looked up from the paper he was staring at – "I meant to ask something, but there wasn't really a chance to. How did monsters end up… there?"

His smile dropped with each word, his eyes hinting at hidden sadness and anger. She could tell it wasn't directed at her, but it still made her feel restless, guilty. She regretted asking, but he spoke before she had a chance to take it back or apologize.  
"Cause of humans" – he shortly stated.  
That was unexpected, to say the least. She just stared at him in pure shock trying to understand if she heard him right. Upon seeing her like that his voice turned gentle.  
"I'm not blaming ya, dove. It happened a while ago"  
"What did they do?"  
Sans let out a sigh. He didn't want to tell, he could hurt her with it and that was the last thing he'd want. But her understanding their past could help, in the situation they were in anything could.

"It was a few centuries ago, donno when exactly" – he began gathering his thoughts – "back then we all lived out there, on the surface. We were at peace for a long time, but one day humans attacked: no warning, no bargains, no mercy. It didn't take much for us to lose"  
"But why?" – Was all she could ask before a ping of guilt rose in her heart, consuming it more by second.  
"Monsters have a power to take a human's Soul. If absorbed it will break the limit of a monster's magic, turning them into something deadly. Humans were scared of that power"  
It was easier for him to speak when she listened so quietly and carefully. She didn't interrupt, didn't freak out despite his earlier assumption. And most importantly she believed, even though most of what he said could be like a well thought out lie to her, she didn't doubt him.  
"So they attacked because they felt threatened?"  
Sans nodded - "seven of their greatest magicians made this thing to keep us from getting out again"  
"Wait, magicians?" – She stuttered, her voice a tone higher in surprise – "you're saying humans could use magic?" – He nodded again and she froze for several long seconds. She took a long breath to ease her nerves. New information was piling up faster than she could handle. All she could do was ask the question that stood out the most – "but how was it all lost? I'd understand if they hid all you said in stories and folklore, but they erased it completely. Both the monsters and the magic we once possessed"  
"It's not as hard as you might think, dove. Not when you put your mind to it"

For few minutes Casey sat in silence blocking out all the distant sounds, all the noise she was long used to. Her mind was racing, trying to keep up with all the thoughts and images flashing in her head at lightning speed. All the information was sinking in slowly, sometimes too slowly, with each piece in place her emotions shifted a bit more burying themselves deeper.  
At first it all felt like a fraction of imagination, like an interesting story someone made up, the idea of all that being real seemed wild and, ironically, unreal. It would be so much easier to see that way.  
For a moment she wanted to.

She didn't want to be one of those who did injustice for their selfish selves, who committed genocide and imprisoned so many with no hope of release, because of what might've happened. The idea disgusted her.  
But the more she thought about it the better she understood them: their motives, their thoughts, their reason and she hated it. She realized that if she lived back then she might've agreed with them, might've fought alongside them and it scared her.

"I can't do much about the history" – she finally spoke, her voice surprisingly calm as she cleaned her mind from all she wished she could ignore and forget – "but if there's anything I can do to help you get out please tell me"  
"You're already helping" – Sans grinned holding the scroll up – "don't know where this'll take us, but it's a good start"  
He sounded so confident, yet carefree, his voice deep and soothing. She couldn't help but believe him. With a smile back on her face she nodded in gratitude.  
"But ya know, there is something I'd like to ask of ya… wait here"  
He got up from his chair and taking a step back disappeared. She felt excited, but a bit worried at the same time. She wanted to help, but what if she failed or made a crucial mistake?  
Nevertheless she waited patiently, eyes fixed on the very same spot he was standing a minute ago as if she'd miss his arrival otherwise.

It felt like forever when in reality he was quicker than usually. He appeared before her, smiling slightly wider when his eyes ley upon her form. A thick ancient looking tome was in his hands, its leather cover looking darker locked between his snow-white digits.  
Soon it lay with heavy weight in her arms, she took a closer look. Its cover was a beautiful chestnut color with small, dull scale pattern. There was no title, no name, only two small symbols on the bottom right. A Celtic cross and Roman numeral two, with one line shorter than the other, were imprinted next to each other. Her fingers lingered on them for a bit as she wondered what they meant.  
She opened the book somewhere in the middle and gasped in awe. Old, yellowish pages was filled with scribbles in black ink, the handwriting: small and messy, yet legible. Mainly the pages contained lines after lines of text, but some had only few words written in between large illustrations. Drawings of strange machines and creatures.  
The circles, she witnessed twice already, were there too, that seemed to be the main subject for whoever wrote that. From the few she viewed none was familiar, some felt wrong, made up.

"What is this?" – The girl asked looking up at her friend.  
"It was sitting in the archives, collecting dust for a while now. I couldn't make much out of it a while back, neither could Alphys… the scientist. Thought maybe you'd be able to"  
"But I don't know what it says. I don't even know what language this is"  
"That's cause monsters and humans don't use the same characters to write, I still don't know how we speak the same way. Plus it's old, a couple of hundred years at least, I can barely understand it myself"  
"Then what do you want me to do?"  
"Look through the drawings, dove. See if there's anything you'd… well, know"  
Casey nodded closing the book. She kept it close to her, like a fragile treasure. Even if she wasn't much of a reader, books and libraries gave her a sense of comfort, protection and wonder. And now, holding an old manuscript with a meaning long lost to time, filled her with something she couldn't quiet describe. She was happy, that much she was sure of.

For some time they set in silence, not a too comfortable one. Casey wanted to talk to him, to hear his voice, his jokes and horrible puns she couldn't help but love. But now of all times nothing crossed her mind. She was in the process of awkwardly glancing around and hoping for the best when something caught her attention.  
"I completely forgot" – she almost yelled making the sleepy skeleton jolt up a little – "I uh… made this for you"  
She held the paper bundle in front of her, olive color of her hands different from everything else in the Underground stayed there for mere seconds before retreating beyond the barrier once more.  
"For me?" – He teased, but she paid no attention.  
"You and Papyrus… Mainly Papyrus" – she laughed awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck. Sans wasn't amused – "you tried to strangle me back then. Obviously I wasn't giving you presents"  
"Fair enough. Can I open it?"  
"Sure" – she shrugged watching him untie the rope.

Soon a square canvas was in his hands. He carefully examined each part, the blue, grey and white covering its surface were new to him. It looked beautiful and somehow very cozy.  
"What is this?" – He asked, not even for a moment looking away.  
"You probably remember how Papyrus once said how he wanted to see the mountains, so I painted it for him" – although her voice was so soft and kind, this time it pissed him off.  
"Are ya sure?" – He asked masking the anger that so unexpectedly arose. She nodded but her smile soon fell as she bit her bottom lip – "what's the matter?"  
"I was just thinking, would it be ok with you? I mean, everyday you'll be looking at something you might normally never see" – she breathed out, some words getting stuck in her throat. She hated that thought, hated saying it, but knew all too well that reality might be different from what they were hoping for, despite their best efforts – "I don't want it to become a nuisance after a while, like a tease"

She quickly finished her thought and timidly met his gaze: it was calm and caring, or at least she thought it was. Their eyes stayed locked for few seconds before his voice broke the silence that, once again, hung over them.  
"Well, honestly speaking itease" – he grinned. It took her few moments to let out a giggle. Finding it a satisfying reaction he continued – "but I'd love if something from there was in our house. I'm sure Pap would love it too"  
Casey smile mouthing a silent 'okay'. The bad feeling didn't leave completely, but eased significantly.  
 _"I'm overthinking again" –_ she thought to herself _– "it's like he said, like I originally thought. Wherever that idea came from, I should forget it"_

"Umm, Sans?" – She called out, stopping for a moment when she saw a hot dog in his hand.  
 _* When did he get that?_  
"If you were the one to choose, what would you like to see?" – She continued ignoring the food that, in her mind, materialized out of thin air.  
"What do ya mean?"  
"The painting. What would you like to see as a painting?"

He took some time to think. There was too much to choose from, too much to see, yet, strangely, nothing he'd want to stare at every day. _'You'_ he wanted to say, but sounding creepy didn't seem like the best course of action. Though understanding why it crossed his mind was, and he was going to do just that for the next few days … weeks a while.  
"Whatever's in your head" – he said shortly and the girl looked up from the sketchbook she was doodling in. She blinked few times, but the confusion in her eyes remained. Sans chuckled realizing how it must've sounded – "I can see a bit of the surface already and I know I can find some info if I look into old documents and stuff. So I'd rather see something that ya can't find out there"

He waited for a reply, his Soul uneasy. Would she find it weird or crude? He pretty much asked to see her thoughts… would she stop meeting him? Heavens knew he'd give anything to prevent that. His Soul stung when her usual warm smile dropped as she processed his words. For the first time in forever he regretted speaking his mind, but felt relief when her smile returned times brighter, wonder twinkling in her hazel eyes. She looked happy more than anything.  
"That's a request I didn't think I'd get" – she said between chuckles.  
"Too weird?" – He joked, hoping he wouldn't get the answer he was expecting.  
"Not at all, just unexpected. I got it"  
"Wait, you'd paint for me?"  
"Yeah, why not"  
"Isn't that too much trouble?"  
"Of course not, I love painting" – her eyes trailed off for a moment, several emotions swirling in them – "usually people expect certain things from artists' works. Not everyone, of course, but there are some people, critiques. Their one word can crush us or lift us, but honestly neither is good.  
For once it would be nice to paint what I want without caring about anything"  
"Don't you already? That's the whole point, right. To draw what you want"  
"I do, but mainly for myself. It's so much different from showing it to someone"

She was oddly enthusiastic about the whole deal, more than she thought she would or even could be. And, as strange as it was, she knew it was because of him. Was it someone else asking the same, sure she'd be happy, but not nearly as much. It has been like that for a while.  
She didn't show anything, masked her emotions with anything she could. After all she could barely understand them herself. She couldn't afford to be questioned.

Casey was lying on her belly with her arms and head in the cave. She was showing Sans some pictures she took on her phone, both old and new. The skeleton was in the middle of making another pun when the phone rang marking a new message. While it wasn't anything special or important it was enough to pull them out of their comfortable world where no one else existed.  
They noticed the sun making its way to dawn. It was time to part.

"So…" – Sans began staring at the girl's back while she put all her things away – "in two days from now Pap will have some free time, he'd definitely want to meet ya" – he said, she only hummed in response – "I'll tag along"  
He added carefully watching her ever movement. She froze for moment briefly looking back, but it wasn't enough to see her features. The only thing he noticed was her slight nervousness.  
Did he say something unnecessary?  
"I'm looking forward to it" – her voice was cheery, he could tell she was smiling.  
That was all he needed to know. He didn't wait any longer, in a flash he was back in his room. He lay down on the bed closing his eyes.

He couldn't understand what was happening to him. How could a human affect his life as much as she did? She was always there, in the back of his mind, distracting him from his daily tasks, helping while he worked.  
He thought he gave up, but now, more than ever, he wanted to get out. He wanted to meet her, talk to her without worrying about the barrier, to walk with her while listening her spew random facts and stories she read somewhere.  
He forgot how it felt to hate her, forgot how he ever could.

 _His pure dove._


	9. Stargazers

A dim cave surrounded the short skeleton, few white crystals glowed weakly from the high ceiling and the long wall before him making shadows dance on dark wood his arms were resting against. For a split second, he looked up watching a couple of monsters pass by, their voices mixing with the whisper of an echo flower, changing it.

His gaze, once again, traveled back to an open book before him, he tried to concentrate on it, but his thoughts kept wondering, worrying. It's been two months since the last reset, since he had seen the kid pass by his sentry station. Each day he was growing more wary, more impatient.  
He had no doubt the kid would return, once again he'd stand in emptiness before the world would start anew. A part of him wanted to see it happen, to get it over with, he was tired of waiting.  
With each new world the pain he felt reduced until he was numb to it all, until he didn't, couldn't care about what happened around him. In time the monsters that turned to dust many times over stopped being worth a bother, they would return once it was all over, there was no point in trying anymore.  
In the hall filled with golden light he would fight the human only driven by sense of justice and one taken life his Soul still responded to.

Sans closed the book he stopped reading a while ago and his tired eyes unconsciously traveled to his right. Beyond a never ending blizzard he could vaguely see Snowdin, his home. He half-expected to see his brother come running in excitement, telling he found a human, he half-expected Frisk to walk through the stone arc, dust covering the red scarf around his neck, but nobody came.

Sans stood up and, mindlessly, staffing his hands in large pockets of an old blue jacket exited the wooden post. He slowly walked towards the large exit watching the darkening magic that have long replaced their sky. With every step that sickening grey was getting larger before white of the snow finally covered his vision.  
"I really should stop staring at it" – he grumbled under his breath – "it's the last thing I wanna see"  
He shielded his face from the wind and cold with one arm while the other pressed the thick tome against his chest, yet he didn't bother to walk any faster.

In an attempt to focus his mind on something positive he found his thoughts turning back to her last visit. The warmth of her voice when she greeted them, the soft smile on her heart-shaped face when she saw Papyrus come rushing to her. He loved the visible happiness and faint embarrassment in her eyes when his brother complimented her painting. Somehow it made her even more beautiful, everything positive did, now that he thought about it.  
His smile twitched up a bit when he remembered her throwing glances at him, obviously wanting to… talk, he assumed. Either way her attention kept flickering back to him, while mere days before, Papyrus was all she was willing to see. That small change made him smile, start every day in higher spirit, in such a short time she managed to made him happier.  
The more he tried to rid himself from all those thoughts and emotions the clearer his feelings became with each passing day. He finally gave up fighting them, they were more than obvious to him now.

In the safety of their home at last, Sans grabbed a bottle of ketchup from a half-empty fridge and lay down on a fluffy green couch staring mindlessly at the ceiling.  
 _"This is ridiculous"_ – a welcomed thought popped in his mind – _"she's a human, for crying out loud…_ _ **She'll never see me that way"**_  
He lowered the bottle swallowing what little red substance there was in his mouth, the lights in his eyes growing dark. _Where did that thought come from?_ He never intended to say that, in fact he was going for something completely different, something that left his mind as quickly as it came.

"I see you're already home, brother" – a young voice echoed in the silent room and Sans' focus returned to reality.  
He looked up at his brother with a wide, fake smile – "hey bro" – he greeted with his usual calm voice – "just got here myself"  
Papyrus crossed his arms, his seemingly empty gaze eyeing the half empty bottle in his brother's grip.  
"And, of course, you didn't eat anything" – his tone was scolding, yet he couldn't sound harsh even when trying his best – "but that's fine, it's better actually. Now you'll have a master class dish made by the best chef" – for few seconds he held a proud pose, his head high – "I'll make some spaghetti"  
As anticlimactic as his next actions were, Sans hardly noticed, being used to all that for a while now. Breaking his 'perfect hero pose' in the most ungraceful way he stomped into the kitchen like a drunk penguin. A series of clutter rang soon after, spreading through the house and probably, beyond.  
"Ya don't have to worry, Pap. I spagot a burg from Grillby's earlier" – Sans casually waited for a rage from the blueish space across the room, but it never came. Instead a voice sounded calmer than before.  
"That greasy food is no good and it obviously can't match with my home-made pasta. I tried really hard today, you know"  
The tall skeleton stood in the wooden archway, faint orange hue barely visible above his smile. For a moment he looked like a kid again, showing off his, undeniably, horrible skills to his big brother.  
"Ya always do" – Sans's warm voice sounded as he sat up, suddenly for both, a chuckle escaped his chest and he looked up from an old, dusty crack in a wooden board of the floor – "Pap, the water's boiling"

Papyrus panicked for few long second, his beaming smile vanished into a short confusion as he glanced around aimlessly. After, in Papyrus' opinion, uncool chaos that unfolded in front of Sans' eyes the tall skeleton, once again disappeared from view.  
"How did you know?" – a voice yelled, as if it wasn't loud to begin with.  
Sans clearly heard disbelief in his tone. His eyes, once again, traveled to the floor, staring at a small spider that crawled from between old boards.  
"Dove… Casey said ya can hear almost anything if ya listen close enough" – he yelled back, trying his best to be louder than clattering of all the pots and dishes that refilled the air.

Getting up he slowly made his way to the kitchen. Despite the disastrous sounding noise from earlier everything was clean and neatly organized. By the stove stood Papyrus, aggressively stirring the sauce. Luckily it wasn't the spaghetti this time, it might even turn out edible if this went on long enough.  
"I see you grew quiet fond of her" – the younger of two voices rang waking Sans from his daze full of overcomplicated ideas and plans to make the food better without actually doing anything.  
His expression didn't change much, while his Soul grew restless. Was it really that obvious? He thought he hid his feelings somewhere out of his brother's reach, he thought that the few words that managed to slip wouldn't be enough, yet Papyrus saw everything so easily.

"She's a great friend, even compared to most monsters I know" – he said, shifting his weight from one leg to the other.  
He hated that general, plain answer he gave, she was so much more than words could ever express. He had a hard time finding any for himself and when he finally did, he never had the courage to say them aloud. Just like now.  
"Nyeh-heh-heh, I knew you'd get along" – Papyrus said in pure glee, then grew quieter – "I miss her… do you?"  
"A lot" – the words were out faster than his mind registered their meaning. Only after hearing them, did he realized it was really him talking.  
He cursed to himself with another silent warning to be more careful. Luckily his brother was never nitpicky when it came to words, always saw the best in them. Papyrus looked back at the shorter skeleton with a sympathetic smile. It really looked like he understood, in his own way he probably did better than anyone could.

"It's ok" – Papyrus' voice was calm and caring for a moment before turning loud and enthusiastic again – "she'll be back soon, it's less than a week now"  
"Yeah, after two" – Sans spat, not really understanding his sudden outburst of anger. His own tone sounded wrong to him.  
"She couldn't help it, Sans. She went to visit her dad, it's very important, you should know that"  
"I know and I'm happy for her…" – he took a seat, steaming plate of freshly cooked pasta in front of him. A silver fork in his hand he, for a while, played with his food, not having the courage to eat - "It was just unexpected, ya know?"

His Soul became uneasy again, a barely noticeable sting grew in it, there to stay for a very long time. There wasn't much he could do about it, his best bet was a distraction, any kind of it as long as it let him forget.  
"How did your training with Undyne go?" – He asked the first thing he could think of mindlessly putting the fork in his mouth.  
He jerked a bit at his own action, his eyes wide when he realized what he had done, but to his surprise the spaghetti wasn't half bad, compared to the usual stuff that is. Great, it turned out edible, without him doing anything, just as planned. This time the taste was too strong with various spices and, unfortunately, the faint after-taste of burnt plastic was present like most of the time. But the consistency didn't remind him of broken glass or wet sand and that alone was the biggest improvement in his book.

Munching on as much food as his nonexistent stomach could handle, he listened to his brother ramble about his day, as usual, getting sidetracked few times in the process. It wasn't much later when he realized that it helped. Even when, most of the time, he had no idea what Papyrus was talking about his voice alone was enough for him to feel more at peace, his thoughts sorting themselves out. A small smile tugged on his lips teeth. That tall, overly positive skeleton really was the only one that could ease his troubles, he was too good for the world.

* * *

With his bare feet dangling from the side of his bed Sans put a chocolate brown shirt on, its sleeves covering his thumbs. He grabbed the worn blue jacket and got up.  
In the next instance he was standing in front of a pastry stand, red sand and hot air filling the space. A young girl stared back from behind the stand with an overly sweet smile, a monster with six arms and eyes too many to count.  
Without saying a single word she held a paper bag, which was previously resting by her side, in front of her waiting for the young male to take. Sans nodded both as a greeting and a sign of appreciation before another shortcut moved him away.

Yawning, still not quite awake, Sans flicked the light switch in a small room on making his way to a wooden desk near the middle. Books, old blueprints and maps as well as few drafts covered its surface, hiding several dried ink stains from view. A light blue desk lamp was turned off, a brown rope tied tightly around it.  
A long low creak echoed as he set down in a large chair, resting against its tall back. Putting the paper bag on a small clearing near the edge of the desk he looked around, his eyes scanning every part of the room. The light teal and lime colors that covered the walls and peeked from behind a light beige bookshelf made that small space look a tiny bit like surface. It was uplifting and, in a way, calming.  
Blinking he returned his gaze to the small item he received few minutes ago as he read the few words scribbled on it, like many times before, always the same ones.

 _"Thank you for giving so many spiders shelter"_

He took a chocolate donut out and, taking a bite, closed his eyes. He never imagined anything could've come out of ignoring few of those monsters in their house. And free pastry for him and Papyrus once or twice a week was a result he was more than happy with.

His mind emptied at one point and only after, about, twenty minutes of spacing out Sans occupied himself with work. Reading and writing, trying to find or create a connection between humans' physical form and determination. The only one he knew was that they could contain it, yet it seemed like they could also shape it within themselves with a little to no struggle and even force it to aid them.  
He thought her blood would help, hoped it would give at least smallest of hints, but all it did was add other questions. While a monster's dust held fractions of their magic and determination, her blood lacked it. Instead it was full of something more ancient, far stronger, yet fragile.  
With all the new information surfacing one after another Sans knew he wouldn't be able to wrap his head around everything, not as fast as he'd want to, not before Frisk returned. With nowhere else to go, no one else to trust he told Alphys everything he knew: about the circles on the surface, his research and her. He knew others might try to harm her, some definitely will, he couldn't trust them, not yet, not with his dove.

Two more books finished, devoid of anything useful. Sighing he closed them both, putting on the floor by his chair. The desk seemed to have become lighter giving an impression that there was less to do. Feeling lazy tired already he let his gaze roam through the room before it rested on a large paper pinned to a wall. Delicate strokes covered the white beneath, creating arcs and symbols she drew.  
His Soul jumped in joy when he remembered how soon they'll meet, only one day left. As a smile creeped on his face he found fresh energy and motivation to work.  
"I need to make this work, I need to see her out there"

Few hours had passed and he was back home, in his bed after a nice meal at Grillby's. A stupid grin was covering his face, he couldn't get rid of. While for others it, probably, didn't seem much different, this one was genuine, happier than most. The efforts that day didn't go unrewarded, he found a clue, the first one since she found those ancient constructions.  
It wasn't much, just one symbol and his tired mind couldn't grasp what it meant despite him checking books one after another. But he had seen it many times over, in almost all circles he could find in old journals and manuscripts and the ones his dove had seen. Always larger than all others, always different than any other writing, but always hidden.

Things were going really well that day: a tiny breakthrough and a promise. Next day at night he'll see her, on the night when stars fall. And even though both Papyrus and Alphys would be there with them he kept chanting one word to himself. A date.  
That's what it was for him, that's what he wanted to see it as: a date with a girl he missed dearly.  
Sans closed his eyes with a clear image of them together printed in his mind. He drifted to sleep hoping he'd see her sooner, even if only in a dream.

 _And his wish was granted._

His dove lay motionless under bright rays, red covering the gold around her. Her chest rose up ever so gently again and again before it froze.  
Silence filled the room as her Soul vanished, its orange shades dancing in the light for a split second.  
Beside her body stood another human, shorter and smaller in size than her, stains of red soiled the purple and blue stripes on the knitted fabric turning it almost pitch black. Glimmer of an old dusty knife in his hand was dyed in light pink as a drop of her taken life dripped from it.  
The human boy's face was unfazed as he looked down at the body. His seemingly closed eyes traveled up meeting Sans' and he tilted his head to the side like a curious child. He took few steps forward, still staring.  
Sans chuckled, his deep voice sounding alien, then raised his arm and a battle began once again.

A blurry image of his messy room slowly cleared as he blinked few timed, his eyes adjusting to the light. Groaning he pushed himself up and leaned against a wall.  
He tried to remember the nightmare, the details of this one, it felt important a bit more than most of them. The only thing he knew was that Casey was in danger, that he lost her, that he was too late. The first time he dreamed of her and it was a nightmare, _but was she in the Judgement Hall? She wouldn't do it, would she? She wouldn't abandon the surface._ Worry found its way into his Soul, for once he was scared for the future.  
Finding it harder to breath he opened the window by his bed and cold air filled his senses. Outside, only few yards away, fir trees were rocking gently in the afternoon breeze. They calmed him down, allowed him to think clearly.

In only two hours his nightmare faded almost entirely, leaving him at peace. He kept telling himself those were only his fears and he strongly believed it, despite him knowing or seeing other timelines he couldn't know the future. There was no way of knowing when the events would repeat, if ever.

Most of his time that day he spent selling hot dogs at his sentry post, mostly napping, it distracted him.  
"Just a bit longer. I need to wait till dark" – he kept telling himself. Eagerness growing by hour.

It was almost midnight, Sans took frequent glances out of the wide window of a dark room, tapping his foot impatiently. Each time he would move the dark green curtain slightly, peering through narrow slit, as if the neighbors could learn about or find his dove by his simple actions.  
"She'll be here soon" – Papyrus' voice came from the couch and Sans threw him a glance.  
"I know" – he grinned returning his carefree attitude, he so carelessly let slip, back to his features – "Just a bit worried someone'll see 'er, especially Undyne. She might try to follow 'er"  
"That's not too bad. We should take Undyne too. I'm sure she'll be good friends with human Casey"  
"I told ya, bro. I can't show my shortcuts to anyone. Alphys is the only one that already knows"  
"How do you know her anyway?"

Papyrus sounded genuinely curious, but Sans couldn't help but feel like he was being suspected, his mind began to race, coming up with an explanation after another.  
"Ya know" – he shrugged after a short pause, his expression unfazed – "seen her a few times when in my station in Hotland"  
That seemed to be a reasonable response, not too complicated or fake sounding, he decided to go with it.  
"How did she know about your shortcuts?" – The tall skeleton didn't give up, narrowing his eyes he stared at his brother. It wasn't easy to understand his thoughts this time.  
"She's the Royal scientist, 'course she figured it out" – he said in a manner as if it was obvious to everyone and it worked. Sans honestly didn't know if he should be impressed or disappointed.

The younger brother nodded sitting straight again, his questions answered. He didn't say much, though was visibly excited. Sans didn't need to guess to know what about, he didn't tell him much about the 'event' they were going to, didn't really know much himself. The only guide they had was the information they read from a book she gave him a while ago and few things she said. It wasn't much, but at least it gave them a general idea of what to expect. That would have to do for now.

Sans quickly and quietly made his way to the front door as soon as he noticed a movement of yellow and white outside. Soon a lizard-like monster slightly shorter than himself stood before him. She timidly bowed her head muttering an apology for taking too long.  
"It's ok" – Papyrus did his best not to yell – "we're not in a hurry"  
"Yap, it's kind of a 'whole night' thing anyway" – Sans backed his brother up, even though couldn't wait to get there for a while now.  
But it was his personal desire, it would be wrong to hold Alphys responsible. That's what he told himself, he knew it was true.

With no more left so say or do they were ready to head out. Standing in the middle Sans took two hands in his own and in a moment the dark silence filled with calming sound of rustling leaves, soft wind and distant chirping.  
A beautiful silvery white light filled the field outside, reflecting from tall trees, grass and soil, dyeing everything it touched in color he rarely saw in the Underground. Few rays shone inside the cave, Sans reached out staring at his hand that barely changed in color, yet he could see the difference.

Averting his gaze he, once again, looked out. There, on the ground, under wide, cloudless sky he saw her. She was lying on her back, her head so close to the opening, her legs bent and delicate hands resting on her stomach. She didn't hear them come as her eyes stayed locked at the sky. He looked up too.

It was black, countless shining dots were scattered in that vastness, some bigger than the others, some brighter and among all that there was a much larger half circle hanging in the air far above. He didn't need to ask to know what it was.  
The longer he stared the bigger and deeper the sky felt and the moon… somehow he could tell how huge it really was, how far from them and it scared him. The more he thought about it the further away the stars seemed.  
With only one book, few stories and a cavern ceiling covered with glowing gems it really was hard to imagine what awaited them beyond that stone window. It was overwhelming, yet he couldn't look away. The night was beyond beautiful and breathtaking and so scary…  
He smiled remembering her words: it was scary how small it made him feel.

He looked back down at the girl and, for a moment, forgot about the world around them, at that moment only the two of them existed.  
A mischievous smile found its way to his face as he took silent steps forward. Leaning as close as he possibly could he, thoughtlessly, brushed away few strands of hair that hanged from the edge into the cave. He put his mouth as close to her ear as the barrier would allow and whispered in most menacing voice he could master.  
"Sup"  
An adorable yelp escaped her lips and she shot up flashing her gaze at him. Upon seeing his form her widened eyes calmed and her tense body relaxed the moment she rested a palm on her chest.  
"Jesus" – she whispered to herself – "you scared me"  
"That was the plan" – Sans chuckled, proud of his childish prank.  
"Well, congratulations" – she smiled back, like she always did, but her voice was lased with sarcasm.  
 _That's a first._

Casey opened her mouth briefly, but before a sound could come out, shut it again. Her eyes bore through the space behind him in confusion for a couple of seconds. He followed her gaze to see Alphys awkwardly throwing glances at his dove, obviously not knowing what to do it that situation, she still wasn't confident enough to speak with strangers. Casey's gaze traveled between her and Sans a couple of times, as if asking if what she saw was real. The moment he nodded with a quiet chuckle she turned back to the royal scientist giving her a warm, reassuring smile, one that could relax even the most anxious of people.

"Hi there" – she greeted and the short woman bowed her head a little stuttering a greeting of her own.  
"This is Alphys" – Sans introduced gesturing towards the yellow monster – "my friend"  
He, unwillingly, put emphasis on the last word, but she didn't seem to notice. He saw her eyes sparkle with realization.  
"The scientist?" – She asked.  
It was a bit surprising how she remembered after hearing her name only once, but he chose not to think much of it. His head turned to said individual before introducing the human, as if that was necessary after talking about her few days in a row.  
"I figured" – Alphys replied semi-sarcastically before he could finish – "you said we'd be meeting her"  
Then stepping closer to him added in a barely audible whisper – "you didn't mention she was so pretty"

In an instance the reality, he tried to ignore for a while, came crushing on him and he fought his own magic making its way to his face. He always found her gorgeous, but being told it so bluntly made him realize just how right he was.  
"Anyway" – he quickly turned around trying to distract himself – "how long till it starts?"  
Casey gave him a questioning look and he pointed up. She briefly looked at the sky before letting out a laugh.  
 _Apparently missing someone makes everything they do adorable, who would've though._  
"It begun about a week ago. Today's simply the peak"  
"The what?" – A loud voice echoed indicating that Papyrus was out of his daze.  
"We'll see more meteors than during other days" – Sans said before anyone else could, like a kid who did his homework for the first time in the end of the year. But that didn't stop Papyrus' quiz.

His dove explained everything there was, answering a question after another. Even the messiest of questions she answered so simply and clearly. Things like: what a meteor shower was or if it had any relation to regular showers, how she found out and many other things that popped in his head.  
To a question "who told you" she gave a simple answer she, probably, didn't think much of, but it quickly became like an objective to Sans' little brother.  
"The people who watch the sky"  
Those few innocent words that came with the beauty's soft voice made Papyrus dream again. They placed wide smiles on both skeletons' faces.

They were all staring up, magic of the first meteor still lingering in them, it passed so quickly, leaving them eager for the next one. Just like she told him long ago, it was something out of this world, too hard to describe, too beautiful and mysterious. He never thought he'd use 'magic' for something, seemingly, so trivial and, well, non-magical, yet here he was at loss of any other fitting words and he loved it.

She was back on the ground humming a slow song when something caught her attention. Bolting up she screamed one word making the monsters jump a little – "Look!"  
Her stretched out arm was pointing at the sky far to their right, barely higher than the horizon. He had an idea what he'd see, after counting about dozen of blue streaks already. But what awaited them was much more different that he originally anticipated.

A bright orange dot, brighter than any other star behind it, moved in a large arc. Even from there he could tell it was blazing, its light dancing in its motion. A long, dimly glowing stripe of a slightly darker color was painted behind it as a sign of its passed path. It was there for only few seconds before disappearing into the black, but even that was way longer than the rest.  
For a while, they were all silent, still staring into the sky, waiting for the scene to repeat. Casey was as astonished as the others, corners of her slightly open mouth were tugged up, her eyes shining like the stars she couldn't look away from.  
"Wow" – she finally breathed out plopping back down – "I've never seen anything like that before"  
"W-why was it so d-different?" – Alphys' small voice made his dove tilt her head back to look at them as the scientist began scribbling notes down.  
"I can only guess" – she shrugged, or rather attempted to, but the earth underneath made it look like a weird spasm – "it was either bigger than the rest, or maybe came closer?"

The two talked for a while longer, but Sans didn't register what they were saying. After a bit his love was laughing, her tone playful, they probably moved on to a lot lighter topics. Papyrus joined the conversation too, his voice beaming here and there every now and then.

When they grew silent the world around slowly became clearer. He heard sounds from the woods he couldn't have ever imagined were real. Casey said those were the sounds of the forest, said they were harmless. She didn't go into details, visibly tired, he didn't push.  
It was enough to know that she was safe.

Rarely anyone talked through the night after that, only few words, few gasps and sighs when another star fell, as she called it.

Gathering his courage for a couple of hours, Sans asked to hold her hand, saying that after so long the magic in her was almost completely gone. It's wasn't a lie, but wasn't the real reason either. Luckily she didn't question anything, she nodded seconds before her warm palm rested against his own. After a while they both forgot about it, by chance or choice he didn't know, it never mattered. Their fingers intertwined for hours to come, her shuffling and moving couldn't break that link. It was something he wanted since long ago, now it was comfortable, calming.

When the endless black ark turned purple then blue and the shining silver drops began to vanish they had to part. She didn't seem to want to, her gaze returning to him every so often while she told her goodbyes. For some reason it placed a stupidly wide grin on his face, his Soul growing impatient with a desire to break free of their prison.  
He asked her to be careful on her way back, she seemed to know what he meant.  
Dropping Alphys at her lab he was back home, exhausted, hungry, but happier than ever. He knew that nightmares won't disturb him this time.

What was waiting for him was a serene dream, a type of which he didn't remember seeing forever.  
The sky, the stars shining and falling and her by his side.


	10. First Path

Clutching the rifle in her hands Casey made her way back, down the mountain. Her eyes thoroughly scanned the surroundings, small spaces between tall trees and beyond misty haze, careful not to miss anything. There wasn't anyone around and even animals seemed to have vanished, the forest was still and silent enough to plant an eerie feeling in the hearts of everyone that dared to venture close. And without her only way to move quickly, without Cinis by her side her fear grew tenfold. But she didn't regret her decision to come without him, too much noise would be made, her mom finding an empty spot in stables was a valid possibility. She couldn't risk it.

The edge of the forest was in sight, engulfed in early morning light that barely touched the sky. She felt her body growing tired both from walking for God knows how long and lack of sleep. But she couldn't afford to slow down, in fact she felt like she had to quicken her pace, worried that her mom would wake up to find her missing.  
 _"I should stop doing this. Not that I did it a lot, but still…" –_ she grumbled in her mind _– "it wouldn't be pretty if she actually caught me sneaking out… or in"_  
Her legs were about to give in as she ran in a large arc, making sure that she was in the view of only two windows: her bedroom and her studio. The house came closer slower than her sore muscles would appreciate. Breathing heavily she stood in front of a half-open window.  
 _"Thank God no one else lives around here"_ – she climbed up with the last of her strength a fleeting thought of a burglar in their house passing through her mind. She knew it was unlikely.

Once inside she closed her eyes listening carefully: a rustle could be heard from the other side of the door, barely audible, not in rush or panic then a quiet hum followed. She thanked the Heavens that her mom didn't enter her room, judging by the sounds she was only waking up.

Casey didn't care about much more, she just wanted to sleep. Changing into a loose t-shirt she curled into a ball in her bed feeling much better already. She quickly checked the time before mumbling muffled complains into her pillow, falling asleep mid-way.  
She traveled by foot almost two hours over rocky, uneven paths of a wild forest. Every step taken harder to overcome than the last in, at least, some way. That was more than she ever did and, hopefully, never will ever again.

It was past noon when she woke up, even though she didn't sleep nearly as much as she normally did, it seemed enough at the time. Barely noticing the image of her room in front of her eyes she let thoughts take over. She soon found herself staring down at her palm as one memory from the previous night stood out. She remembered vividly how he took her hand, wondering why he didn't let go. Sure she was gripping it, but Sans wasn't the type to hold on just for that. Maybe he zoned out, he was staring up all the time. She felt her heart beat a bit faster when a thought crossed her mind.  
 _A hope, she never noticed._  
"Maybe he didn't want to either"

Her eyes stayed fixed on her palm for God knows how long as she tried to sort her memories, but they all eventually returned to him. It was getting frustrating at that point, too distracting. Groaning she got up, her hand almost instantly grabbing her phone.  
"1 am" – she spat at no one in particular, glaring down with hatred as if waiting for the poor device to apologize and turn the time back.  
While the long nap was necessary she hated the idea of wasting precious time on her last day of freedom.

Casey changed and brushed her hair as quickly as she could, she looked at her reflection by the end of it vaguely remembering a tortured woman from a horror movie she once saw. Perfect. Storming out of her room she ran into the kitchen.  
Soon she emerged from there like a beautiful swan that she was not: a cup of steaming tea in one hand, a plate with three sandwiches in the other and an unopened bag of chips hanging gracefully from a pocket of her old shorts.  
"Hey, mom" – she greeted, in a somewhat tired voice, passing her by.  
"Good morning sleeping beauty" – the ginger woman eyed her suspiciously – "are you feeling well?"  
"Mm-hmm"  
"Right, and that's why you wake up past noon looking like a nightmare"

Casey stopped in her tracks turning around, explanation would be for the best, for more than one reason.  
"I stayed up late last night. Was watching the meteor shower"  
"Oh, me too!" – The woman's tone instantly changed to her usual, cheerful one – "I should've joined you. It was boring on my own"  
"I thought you were asleep too" – the young girl shrugged. She really did.  
"Did you see the orange one?"  
"I did! It was so pretty, and was visible for so long. Why, though?"  
Eilis shrugged a giddy smile on her face. It was evident where Casey got her love for stars – "probably was closer or something"  
 _"Yup, that's my mom alright"_  
"Anyway you go on now, I got some stuff to do in the town. When I'm back, help me out will you?"  
"Sure"  
The word sounded more like a shriek than an actual language as the girl turned around vanishing behind a white door.

Casey sat down, her hand immediately jolted to a laptop to press the on button, but the small light near it didn't glowed. She froze. Her hazel eyes rested on a thick book casually collecting dust in shadow of a wall below an open window. It was covered by few blank papers in an attempt to hide it from Eilis in case she came in.

Without thinking for another moment she grabbed the tome, the feeling of uneven leather underneath her fingers sent a wave of eagerness through her. Before she knew what she was doing the book was open, her eyes scanning its first page. Her mind easily distinguished sentences and words in endless lines of text. Rows of small handwriting clear of any spacing.  
The next page was the same and the next and the next. She couldn't understand a word she read, but couldn't look over any. It was scary to, it felt as if something within her would stop or break if she did. She had to keep going.

A loud sound brought her back to reality, a familiar voice. She quickly answered her mother as she looked around hastily. Judging by the sun and the shadows at least an hour had past, maybe even two.  
"Almost three" – she sighed staring at flashing 15:47 on the phone's display.  
She noticed that the food she had brought was long gone. The page count in the tome was a roman 34.  
"God almighty" – she whispered clutching her silver cross – "how did I read that much?"  
How come she never noticed? Even three hours wouldn't be enough to read that much of a foreign language and comprehend its content, even if only subconsciously. What the magic was doing to her made her heart bead louder, head feeling dizzy. While it scared her, she couldn't ignore the excitement it provided either, she embraced it. She wanted to ask Sans about it, he could help her figure it out.

Her racing thoughts came to a halt when her mother's voice called out again. Without another second to lose Casey ran out barely avoiding a sweet reunion of the floor and her face twice.  
She quickly apologized saying she fell asleep halfway through an anime episode. _Wouldn't be the first time_. Luckily the tasks her mom gave her were fairly simple, tedious and boring, but simple.  
Fixing a small hole in the stables' roof took less time than she expected and she moved to their fence.  
Repair a few loose boards and repaint some parts here and there. Shouldn't take too long.

At least she had time to think. She appreciated it, needed it. Endless flow of symbols and arcane words returned to her mind over and over again until she couldn't forget any.  
There were spells written in those pages, quite a few of them. All were simple, two or three words in length, all were a part of something bigger. She thought she saw them somewhere before, most of them, at least. She remembered them in patterns and arcs.  
She had to find a connection to the barrier in those words, some kind of clue, there was one… right? There had to be. That was the reason Sans entrusted the manuscript to her.

She wished she had more time though, with school starting she'd have barely any. She wished he gave her the book earlier. Maybe then she'd have results already. She felt the magic within her swirl and storm at the thought, rushing her to get back inside, to resume what she started. She felt its power lessen with each breath. Though she knew it could be easily replenished, it terrified her.

With a low thud the paintbrush rested on the ground beneath her feet, but she didn't care enough to look down. Holding her trembling hands to her chest Casey took deep breaths, her heart calming a slightly bit more with each. She failed to notice for how long she was panting, or how strong the heartbeats hit against her chest. The only thing that remained in her mind was the desire to break the magic surrounding the mountain. That was all she could remember. The rest of the world around blackened.

 _"Why? Why did he give me the one thing that could help so much so late? Why did we visit dad, why couldn't he be here instead? It's their fault. Because of them, the barrier will stay. Because they were thoughtless I'll lose it, my magic will be gone. I hate this I hate this I hate this.  
I should do something. I need time. I need to break it" _

A warm voice called for her from behind and she turned around to see a ginger woman calling her for dinner. She responded with a smile before turning her head back, to finish up what little work remained.  
 _"What was I saying?" –_ She tried to remember _– "right, school. I gotta go tomorrow… I don't wanna" –_ her mind whined as a desire to burn the place down flashed in her mind like it does every year.

She sighed remembering that her meetings with Sans would be lessened. She wanted to see him already. The thought drowned in few others as Papyrus' face came to her mind. His voice, his rambling about how great he was at, pretty much, everything he did and how awesome his friends were. The compliments he didn't spare for her in simple small talk, his innocence and joy. He was the best friend she could wish for and she hated herself for not giving him as much attention anymore. Sure it was more interesting to chat and hang out with the older brother, but that tall cinnamon roll always made her happy and she ignored him.  
 _"Like a piece of poop"_ – a though clung, her face reflecting pure sulk, directed at herself, somehow.

She calmed down a lot more during dinner, reassuring herself that she'd think of something special for him. The sulk was gone and she, overall, became kinder towards the world, because food is foundation of all that is good.

As soon as she was done, Casey went back to her room, saying she was tired and sleepy. The urge returned becoming stronger with each step. She couldn't understand how she could be captivated with something, she couldn't understand in the slightest, so much. And though it worried her, she learned that there was no fighting it. It felt like her mind, senses, her vary soul was begging her to go on, to learn the magic within those yellow pages. She submitted.

In comfort of her bed Casey rested the heavy tome on her lap, it hurt a bit, but she couldn't care less. She barely noticed after a while, quiet sound of the wind calming her quickly.

As her eyelids slowly cracked open Casey let out a muffled groan in the pillow she was hugging. Blinking several times she let her eyes adjust to the darkness only few rays of dim light were clearing.  
She didn't remember much from the night before, only how she changed into her pajamas before collapsing back into the bed. The rest was darkness filled with unreadable symbols, half of which she was sure she had never seen. Normally she'd think of it as something like a fever dream, something your brain creates to torture you. But that dream, those _visions_ were calming, like they were supposed to be there from the beginning. Like she belonged in them.

Casey quickly glanced at her phone, silently praying for time to move slower. The dim numbers on a dark screen flashed for a second and she turned it off once again, her eyes hurting from the light. Few minutes past six. She sighed in relief shuffling in bed to take a more comfortable position. There was neither need nor a desire to get up just yet, a bit over two hours were still separating her from school. For a while she stared at the empty space failing to notice anything around, her mind filled with thoughts so small they seemed to vanish faster than they came.

It was calm and silent, just like she loved the most, but everything nice have to come to an end. A loud growl filled the room as she clutched her stomach. Too hungry. Dragging her bare feet over red and blue patterns of a carpet the girl was soon standing in front of a mirror, trying to make her hair, more or less, presentable. After messing with it with approximately two minutes she ended up with two tiny, braids on one side, a sky blue ribbon at the end, while the rest of the brown locks flowed in natural waves, sticking out in few spots. It was nice, she never liked her hair too tidy.

After another agonizingly long minute she put on a simple navy blue loose top with lase trim and grey knee long shorts. She looked at her reflection smiling, all the blue on her made her feel protected, safe.  
 _"Weird"_  
Shrugging this new feeling off as an odd mood she exited her room, making her way to the kitchen with silent steps. Minutes later she was back, a plate full of food in one hand and a kitty mug with steaming tea in the other. Standard stuff.  
Opening her now favorite book she sat in front of it. Experience of the previous day was enough for her to put a timer close to her. She wasn't yet sure if the time loss was because of the book and, by extant, the magic, but she wasn't going to risk the school to find out.

It felt like several minutes had passed when the timer went off. Predictable. Irritation filled her mind for a moment and she slammed her hand on the small device, desperate to stop its piercing sound.  
 _"8:20. I have 40 minutes, should make it there just fine"_ – her mind quickly calculated as she hid the book in a closet, under a pile of sweaters.

Her mom was still asleep, so Casey locked their front door before leaving, just in case. In about ten minutes she was on her way to her doom, the town edging closer by second. She didn't want to leave Cinis, part of her mind screaming at her to turn around and ride to the mountain, part of her hoping that Sans would be there. But she forced those thoughts away, like many other excuses, many times before. After exchanging few words with the old man at the stables and, as always, asking to take good care of her horse Casey quickened her pace heading further into the town.  
Though she knew there was enough time and being late wasn't an option unless she stopped, her legs wouldn't slow down. With a nail between her teeth the girl fought back a desire to bite down, as she looked around, observing people in hopes of a distraction.

 _"Calm down, Casey, you can do this" –_ she reassured herself before snapping at her own anxiety _– "I'm gonna strangle you one day"_  
The next several minutes she spent realizing how stupid it sounded even in her head, pondered how she'd do that and finally came to a conclusion that couldn't, thankfully.

The not so large area in front of the only high school in town was filled with people when she arrived. Groups of students of all shapes and sizes were scattered everywhere, barely any space left between them to pass. For reasons unknown to Casey the first day was always too hectic. She glanced around and, for a moment, her breath hitched coming out as short gasps before she quickly calmed herself.  
 _"I hate crowds"_ – her mind cried. She felt vulnerable, unsafe. She just wanted to go home, to see Papyrus. _She wanted Sans to be there._ She clutched her shirt.

"Casey!"  
A loud, slightly high-pitched velociraptor scream came closer at an alarming rate, well at least it was happy. She didn't have time to turn around when something a little lighter than herself jumped at her from behind. Stumbling a couple of steps forth she tried her best to keep the balance, her hand grabbed something steady. An arm, a large one. Looking up her eyes met with a smiling beard of a tall man.  
"Good morning Mr. Eraman" – she greeted in a calm voice shaking his hand. _That was embarrassing._  
The man gave her a stern look, making her mind race searching for the reason – "erm… Ethan"  
She corrected herself remembering his request and the man smiled again as he returned her greeting.  
"Good morning, my girl. Glad we met you, actually, we could use your help… well she could" – he pointed at Lucy who was now by his side, looking up at her father, grinning – "unlike you she's not too good with directions, neither she, nor her brother. Not the best thing to inherit from their old man"

"Sure, I'll help" – the girl laughed, her hazel eyes twinkling as she glanced around – "what about Nye?"  
"He'd probably go ahead on his own. Said he wanted to 'look around'" – Lucy said making air quotes – "which basically means he'll be talking to the popular kids"  
Strange. He seemed to be more of a loner. And even if it was a false impression, he didn't struck Casey as a type to seek or want too much attention.  
"Why?" – She asked tilting her head, sounding genuinely curious. The faces of the two in front of her softened. Too easy, as always.  
"He says he's gathering information" – his sister whispered leaning closer. Careful, but confident, as if she had been in the same situation before.  
"It helps him avoid bullies. Worked before, will work again" – Ethan nodded.

 _"Interesting approach, but too soft…"_  
"Makes sense" – Casey smiled letting the thought rest deeper in her mind – "I never really had to deal with it though. Only once, but they expelled the guy two months after he targeted me"  
"You got lucky" – she watched the younger girl narrow her eyes, eyebrows furrowed, seemingly recalling something.  
"Enough with our dark pasts, ladies" – the older man sighed making Casey chuckle – "you're gonna be late if you don't move"  
Saying that he immediately turned around walking towards the school himself a lot faster than the two girls could.  
"He's gonna see the principal" – Lucy noted seeing the confusion on her friend's face – "has some paperwork he's gotta finish"  
Casey only nodded, something else bothered her now.

Looking at the sea of people her senses were telling her to run and she hated it, hated feeling lost and helpless. Having someone close helped, but the suffocating feeling remained. She felt like she'd drown if she took another step. She filled her mind to brim with anything she could think of, anything to distract her as they walked.

The memories roamed from Papyrus, to lush green forest around the mountain, she remembered exploring it, taking long walks through its endless mazes finding the way out, each time with more ease. She remembered the symbols and circles, the magic engraved in stone, it filled her with determination to move on. She thought of what she could do once back home.

It helped her notice her surroundings less. At that moment she wanted to be wrapped in something warm and soft. To forget where she was only thinking of comfort it gave.  
"Sans' jacket would be perfect" – she chuckled, barely loud enough for herself to hear. The coziness she felt just by imagining it was enough for her to get through the day.

"Should we get inside?" – A young girl's voice broke her out of her thoughts, her midnight eyes scanning the crowd left behind.  
"Yeah" – Casey nodded taking few steps – "what about your brother?"  
"He'll be fine. There are a lot of people he can follow"  
"But your dad said-"  
"You worry too much" – Lucy cut her off waving her hand in dismiss – "he said that just in case, but I think we'll manage most of the time"  
Casey nodded with a short 'ok'. She wouldn't argue, not when her life was, so generously, made easier.

Taking a quick peek at their schedules Casey hurried to the stairs, Lucy following close behind. She showed the younger girl the first classroom and explained how to get to the rest. It proved to be a lot easier than Ethan made it sound like. At least, at first glance it was.

A loud bell rang indicating the start of their first class when she was still on her way and she quickened her pace. Students rushed, quickly emptying the halls, some simply entered the doors near them while others ran to the other end of long corridors. Few darted past her, closer than she'd appreciate. Her hand quickly found the silver cross gently rocking on her chest with each quickened step. It helped her heart calm.

The classroom was almost full when she entered, none seemed to notice her presence to her relief. Though she knew they only pretended.  
Her eyes scanned the room as she made her way to one of the few remaining empty seats which was, luckily, by the window: a brief escape from this madness. After reforming most of the classes previous year not many assholes in her class remained. Just one, overly egotistical girl and two guys laughing near the back. Their noises were distorted, if she didn't see them laugh she'd think someone was having a mental breakdown. It sounded unpleasant: the laughter, but there wasn't much she could do about it except ignore it.

Sighing she sat down, sun still on the other side of the building casted a large shadow on the ground and few houses. Mt. Ebott, on the other hand, was engulfed in golden light. She loved how calm and inviting it looked, it made her smile wider. She wondered if Sans and Papyrus were there now, chatting or laughing in warm rays.

Her thoughts were cut short when she heard the teacher's old, yet lively voice as he greeted them, calling out names one after another as he made notes in the large journal in front of him. His speech was very similar to previous years': congratulations for the beginning of, this time, their last year, collecting the summer homework. Barely any new information was given, no new homework.  
It was the same with the second teacher and the third.

At some point she stopped listening, only briefly paying attention to not miss anything important.  
With a blank notebook in front of her and a pen in her hand she began scribbling. Spells and incantations filling the pages. Occasionally she left blank spaces, sometimes skipping over few rows or an entire page before writing again. She didn't really know why she had to, but the magic was requesting it and she obliged, she trusted it.  
By the time it was lunch she was almost done. And it was irritating that she had to leave her work. Nevertheless her hunger was stronger.

Leaving everything she didn't need for the day in a locker Casey made her way to the cafeteria, feeling her stomach beginning a riot.  
"Hey" – a familiar soft voice echoed a bit louder than the hunger games inside of her. Turning around she came face to face with a tall guy with jet black hair. He didn't seem to be bothered by the sounds of her stomach's battlefield, that alone made him more mature than most of the people in this lovely place.

"Food?"  
"Food"

After the short and extremely meaningful conversation they continued their way together. Some people gave them weird looks, looking at Nye with suspicion or sympathy. Neither of them seemed to care enough to comment on it.  
"I didn't see you this morning. Are you doing fine so far?" – Casey asked looking up.  
"Yeah, I'm ok. People seem nice here, a lot more than in big cities. Though I hoped I'd be put in your class. Mom even requested it specifically, but, apparently, it was full"  
He rubbed the back of his head looking somewhat upset, did it really bother him that much, or was there something else?  
"Is everything ok?" – She asked, her fingers gently touching his arm when he didn't answer.

Grey eyes flickered to her and his slightly tense body relaxed as his attention retuned to reality.  
"I'm fine, it's just annoying… and awkward and embarrassing" – he continued under his breath – "do… do you know Lyn?"  
For a bit she remained silent, eyebrows furrowed as her mind presented all the names and faces she could've known.  
"I think so?" - She half-shrugged, looking at the packed space between large open doors they were nearing – "long brown hair, slim, a bit pale, around this tall" – she held her hand above her head, somewhere in the vicinity of her friend's neck.  
"Sounds like her" – Nye nodded picking up a trey to stand in the line, he continued in a whisper – "I'm not sure what to do. She was umm… fli-flirting with me. Does that happen a lot?"

A quiet snigger echoes as the two noticed an amused Lucy behind them covering her mouth.  
"Someone finally did?"  
Nye only shook his head with a sigh, blank expression on his face as he paid for his and his sister's food.  
"So, who is she?" – The girl asked taking a seat, her question directed more at Casey.

"From what I know she's nice and friendly, definitely not the shy type, never was. But I don't think I've ever heard of her being interested in anyone"

Nye was a good looking guy she couldn't deny and someone being attracted to him wasn't a surprise. But it was a bit odd, uncharacteristic. In the past several years of school she never saw Lyn make a rushed move in anything. In fact she was a lot more patient and careful than most people when it came to relationships. Whether it was a friend or a foe she took her time confirming it for herself over and over again and she'd stick to whatever decision she ended up making.  
Shaking her head Casey put those thoughts aside, yet not discarding of them. For now she'd wait and watch, that was all she could do.

"You didn't buy any… thing?"  
Halfway through Lucy's sentence a yummy looking lunch was in front of the chubby girl. Nothing fancy: crusty chicken, a couple of cheese sandwiches, a small bowl of veggie salad, grapes and water. Shifting a plastic fork in her hands Casey briefly glanced at her friends' trays. Taking a bite she scoffed.  
"That was the main reason I learned to cook"  
The two now looked straight up betrayed.  
"You made that?" – They didn't bother to glance at each other like they'd usually do if they talked at the same time.  
"I always do"

From their faces she could tell they were considering the options, probably thinking if it was worth it. She smiled remembering a similar reaction from a certain skeleton. How he convinced her to trade their food, swearing it was good. It wasn't bad, but she still regretted agreeing, it still was worse. Though in the end it was worth it, if it meant seeing him laugh his ass off it definitely was.  
When the bell rang, they all walked back, each in the own direction. The rest of the day was same as the morning, boring, uneventful. History teacher was the only sadist to give homework that day and, unfortunately, Casey finished writing in the notebook, so had nothing better to do than listen to a lady talk about dead people with unpronounceable names.

The week went by faster than ever, each day passing neared her to meeting Sans and Papyrus. But this time around she was excited for something more than that. She was quiet impressed by her work and was hoping Sans would be too, almost half of the book had been read without her knowledge. The thought was ridiculous enough for her to laugh out loud each time it crossed her mind, though she tried to hold back during classes and, for now, she managed.

It was Friday and Casey was walking out of the main gate, a bright, happy smile painted on her face. Just one more day and she could go to the mountain. Too caught up in her own thoughts she almost didn't hear a familiar voice calling out to her. Turning her head a bit she saw Nye come closer, somewhat nervously.  
She stopped, looking up, but he kept silent for a good while, clutching the strips of his backpack like his life depended on it. His eyes were fixed on the ground the whole time, though she could see them clearly. She just waited for him to collect his thoughts, it seemed like he needed the time, though couldn't help but silently theorize about his behavior.

"I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to say it" – he said in a half-whisper, raising his eyes just enough to take a quick glance at the girl. Seeing that she was still listening he lowered his gaze and spoke – "I don't like that Lyn girl. I don't know what it is, but something seems off about her. I know I could be wrong, but…"  
Casey nodded crossing her arms in a protective manner. Was it right to worry?  
"She doesn't seem to understand or care when I say I'm not interested in her. And before you ask, yes, she's still at it, more than before. She's creeping me out" – he took a deep breath– "I have a favor to ask"  
"What kind of favor?" – She furrowed her brows, answering almost immediately.  
She didn't like where this was going.  
"I wanted to get rid of her, so I told her I had a girlfriend… C-Can I tell her it's you?"

She had to admit, she did not expect the conversation to go there. But that didn't seem like a hard task. Something about the girl was fishy for her too, so that would be a good opportunity to look into it without raising too much suspicion. Plus she'd help a friend too, two birds with one stone.  
Then why was it so hard to answer?

 _'But what would mom say, or dad? What would Sans think?'  
'He doesn't need to know, does he? He's in the underground, he can't know unless I… I'd have to. I wouldn't be able to keep it from him… What would he say? What would he think?' _

She felt her heart sting, picking up pace, her breaths turning deep and slow. She hided it under thoughtful sighs and whispers. She hated this, the whole thing, the whole idea and she hated the answer she was going to give.  
"I'm sorry, I can't" – she heard herself say, voice a bit distorted, shaky. Staring at the ground she tried to collect her thoughts, searching for a reason to refuse, for a right answer. But the words came out before she had a chance to.

"There's someone I like"


	11. Past

Casey couldn't remember how she got home, only that it took a while. The day's events were a blur, only one thing was clear. She liked Sans… romantically… a lot. The thought itself was bizarre, she'd never had that kind of feelings for anyone, let alone strong ones. Last time she remembered being interested in anyone was in elementary school. And now she was trying, and failing, to wrap her head around this all.  
 _Why? How? For how long?_  
Questions were aimlessly floating in her head with no answers to follow. Too many to make sense of.

 _"It's just a stupid crush"_ – she thought, a sting growing in her heart the more she tried to convince herself. She didn't want it to be.  
Part of her knew it would be best to forget that feeling, to see him as a friend like before, while another part fought against it. It proved to be easier than she'd think, whether because that desire of her was bigger or stronger she didn't know, didn't care. Despite her better judgement she clung on.

 _"If it's really just a crush than I can leave it alone"_ \- a though flashed among many others, this one somehow far more noticeable, yet not much stronger – _"There's no point to try and fight it. If it's nothing serious it'll fade in time"_  
Before she knew it, that idea overpowered most others. It felt like a burden was lifted at the thought of letting the matter rest. She let out a sigh calming her heartbeat, this was the best she could do.  
Soon it would be nothing more than a memory.

Her heart finally slowed down, yet still fluttered with each little thought or image of Sans her mind created. A wide smile replaced her blank expression when her eyes rested on a finished painting. Dark and bright colors covered the canvas in countless streaks, some still gleaming in sun, yet to dry. She wondered if he'd like it, if he'd truly appreciate it.  
She wondered if he'd ever like her.  
Heat spread through her body, traveling up to her neck and cheeks, the soft wind blowing through her studio's window now the only thing to calm her. At that moment she was grateful her blush was never apparent.

Strangely she felt somewhat angry at herself, she told herself it was a way for her to drown the embarrassment, something she did subconsciously and couldn't control.  
But it felt foreign.

Before her mind registered what her body was doing she found herself in the hallway already, failing to see much around.  
Taking the thick book from its hiding spot in her wardrobe she sat down, its worn-out yellowish pages appearing almost white under bright rays, dark wood of her desk beneath made it look older. Opening the notebook with her own work she set it next to her.  
She was going to free him, free Papyrus, ever single monster there was. For once she felt determination stronger than anything else, strong enough to consume her.

The world around faded away replacing everything with spells, long and beautiful. Spells for light, for wind and earth, for life. So many, so different, she wanted to learn them all. She thought she heard them, forgetting the words like a fleeting moment.  
Each of them felt serene, yet powerful, together even more so. They filled her soul and senses to the brim.  
Magic felt right, it was welcoming and warm like a bonfire in cool autumn night and she lost herself in the feeling. She knew the way back, knew the way away from it, but chose to close it, listening to spells' whispers instead. They guided her through an endless maze and she knew she'd reach what her mind was searching for was she to follow.

Blinking she found her room back around her, the path she took: at its end. The think tome was open on its last page, her notebook now had a little over a dozen more pages of scribbles. Everything in perfect order, no spaces, no blank pages or rows in between.  
This time she could tell that a while had passed, it felt like a long and tiring journey. The room was getting darker, orange and red of the down were now dancing behind Ebott. Casey watched the colorful streaks in the air and on the wall behind her.

A long sigh echoed in the small room as the girl closed her eyes, mind recalling what had happened. She had finished the path, as she unconsciously began to call it. Though it was only one in many she had yet to discover and explore, this was all she could do for now. The magic in her was drained, she doubted anything could be done before meeting Sans.

A quiet grumble came from her stomach, she realized how long it had been since her last meal.  
Casey got up turning around, but the moment she took a step her legs bent, knees hitting the floor moments later with a dull thud. Leaning on her bed she heaved herself up only now realizing that she had tried to hold onto it. Her entire body felt weak, didn't hurt like after running for too long, she just couldn't move, not easily that it. But she had to eat, her lunch wasn't nearly enough for the day.  
Leaning on walls and pieces of furniture along the way the girl, slowly but surely, neared heaven, aka the fridge.

She normally wasn't too picky with food, so the feeling that she could eat pretty much anything was new to her. Her plan for the night was to eat then go to bed, but on her way back something distracted her. A sound she didn't know she missed that much.  
From behind large double doors she heard a woman's laugh, muffled noise of the TV seemed to be of another show Casey would probably find dumb. But at that moment dumb didn't feel so bad, she found herself drawn to it.

Few more steps and her surroundings changed, smells and sounds shifted, strengthening. Walking to the sofa she sat down, gaze instantly fixing on the screen. It really wasn't too bad.

For a while Casey just sat there paying very little attention to the TV or anything else at that matter. But the noise, the music playing every now and then and her mom's random comments, most of which were directed at her, kept her thoughts from wondering too far.  
Most of the time it was loud and hectic, far from calming, but she felt rested a bit more even before. The sweets she hunted from kitchen were long gone and she was tired, sleepy, but she still wanted to stay.

Curling into a ball she lay down, her head resting on her mother's lap. It was comforting, it felt like home more than anything could.  
"Do you want me to turn this off?" – She heard the woman's voice speak quietly, a delicate hand resting on her shoulder. She probably thought the girl was falling asleep.  
"Nah, it's fine" – Casey muttered closing her eyes. The noise helped.

A while had passed, voices changing every so often. She listened as chef Ramsey yelled at some unfortunate cook, she felt bad, but couldn't hold back few chuckles at some of his remarks. A few words were exchanged between her and Eilis. With her back turned to the screen she didn't look back once, didn't bother to. The several instances she heard and her mother's words were enough to have a proper understanding of the smaller world in the device.

It wasn't long before she felt her consciousness slipping a bit more my minute.  
"I'm going to bed" – she mumbled trying to keep her balance as she got up too fast. The older woman only appeared happier with her daughter's decision.  
Stumbling into the hallway she threw one more glance at her mother, wishing her good night's rest, before closing the door. She looked fine despite her tired voice, a lot better than Casey felt, that's for sure. Lucky soul.

Casey's eyes were half closed as she made her way through the corridor bumping into whatever unfortunate object happened to be in her way.  
Through blessings of gracious furniture gods her painful journey was soon over and she was once again met with an embrace of soft fabrics. Somehow, in a short time, she forgot how comfortable it was in her room, in her bed and how much she loved it.

A sigh broke the dark silence for a split second as the girl closed her eyes. She'd have to ask Sans if feeling that tired was normal. Even when it happened only a couple of times and never that bad, it irritated her already.  
The thought was forgotten in another.  
"Right, I'll see him tomorrow"

It felt like an instance had passed when she opened her eyes. Darkness. Unnatural, calm darkness she knew couldn't, wouldn't end.  
She looked down, but couldn't see her body, the darkness stretched in every direction. Moving her body didn't do much to help, there wasn't anything around but empty space. Whatever dream this was, seemed too real, too lucid.  
She felt like she should be scared, dream or not this was unsettling, yet all she could feel was confidence.

Nothing seemed to change for a while, she couldn't even say how much time had passed, but it felt too long. Without thinking she called out to the first person that came to mind.  
"Mom!"

She was sure she spoke, but nothing came out.

Silence. Deafening silence. She hated it, but it never faded. As time went on it seemed to grow deeper, refusing to break.

Times over she closed her eyes hoping to wake up back home. But the quiet rustling of the wind and her own steady breathing she heard each time, would always fade, the feeling of soft sheets over her body would melt away leaving only the empty darkness around her.

She waited silently, her mind creating random scenarios to keep her occupied, then the first change occurred. It was strange experience, strange feeling, one she couldn't put into words well enough.

A voice spoke, yet the silence was undisturbed, it wasn't audible, yet she knew it was there. Its language was foreign, almost like made up, yet she could understand what was spoken.  
Whispers added one after another, though few in number it felt like there were dozens of them. They talked together, over one another, yet separately.

"you found us" "you found it" "learn - words" "remember"  
"strengthen the spell" "The barrier" "crumbling"  
"seal it" "seal them" "monsters" "stop them"  
"s̭̫͓t́ą͉̻̬̼͖ͅy̛̜̼̟̠̯ ̘a͉̠͍̥̖͇wḁy̝"

"You're our only hope" "alone" "Forever"

"H̘̠̺́e͙̦l̖p̪̠̠ u̸͍͔̗̝͙̐̃ͤͦ̀͢s̶̤͓̭̺̟ͥ̌ͤͭ́ͣ̔"

Whispers were everywhere, she couldn't get away. Some would get closer, some stop far away, some disappeared. And it was silent.  
Then they changed, shifted in a short howl, like a wind.  
Spells, hundreds of them, one after another filled the emptiness. Louder and louder until she could hear them. Faint whispers.

Snow-white writings appeared in front of her, one or few with each voice. She couldn't tell how far or how big it was. She reached out, waved her hand in front of the symbols. Nothing. Not even the dark silhouette of her arm disturbed them.  
With each voice gone spells filled the mark more and more. The circle was huge, far more complex than any she'd seen so far. Every arc, line, even larger, different types of, symbols were now written, instead of painted. Thousands upon thousands of words and incantations created an image, power radiating from it: overwhelming.  
When the circle was complete, darkness once again was filled with silence. Casey tried to speak, no sound came. But this time they listened, she knew they did.

"I want to remember this" – she said as if asking for permission.  
They agreed, they promised. Then silence.  
"Who are you?"  
"Old Kings" "Your Kings"  
"How old?" – She felt silly asking, but she wanted to know. She told herself it could be important, but in reality it was simple curiosity before anything else.  
"Centuries had passed since our demise" – a gentle one answered. It felt like he was smiling, a warm, soft smile.  
"Why… are you talking to me"  
Silence. Darkness. Cold. It was so cold.

Then the voices returned, stronger, yet not louder than a whisper.  
"You are the only one left" "Your strength" "Your courage" "We need to borrow it"  
"We're fading" "Our magic" "Our knowledge" "You must accept it"  
"We will prevail" "You will prevail"

A short, quiet gasp left Casey's lips and her eyes shot open. Her senses were sharpened like after a nightmare. It struck her as strange, whatever she was through wasn't close to scary, it was wondrous if anything. She stared out of the window, expression blank as she tried to sort everything that happened.  
Sun wasn't out yet, but its new, dim rays were already brightening the deep indigo sky little by little.

Suddenly for herself, the girl sprung up and, putting on the first shirt she could find, rushed into the small studio.  
Paper, pencil, nothing to distract her from work. The strange circle still fresh in mind she began to write. It felt like hours had passed since her memories began to take form and, it turned out, she wasn't too far off. Only a little over two hours had passed when she was done, a lot less than ever before, though it was exciting, she couldn't understand why it was different this time. She'd have to ask someone, she'd have to ask Sans.

Casey glanced back as Cinis stopped to drink from a small, clear lake. The large paper roll and the, slightly smaller, brown paper bundle rested behind her black saddle, safely secured under thin red blanket. She mindlessly began to clear the few fallen leaves from it.  
A small movement in front of her snapped her out of her daze and her head shot back. With the horse done she, once again, hurried to the crack in the cliff that changed her life so much.  
An unimpressed chuckle escaped her chest at the thought. That was the understatement of the century.  
She learned to see magic, she heard her kings, that was much more than "changing her life".

Casey was almost at the cliff, about to take the last turn when all her thoughts vanished like they weren't there at all. A sudden urge, like a tug on her soul seemed to call her, ask her to take another path.  
She thought she saw where it lead, only for a moment, only vaguely, but it was there. A lowland of a sort, red tulips mixed with green. Few rocks were scattered in it, almost as if arranged. It seemed to be somewhere at the base of Ebott…  
It didn't matter. She ignored everything about it, her desire to see her friends was stronger.

 _"Why do I like him anyway?" –_ She furrowed at the thought _– "he was literally threatening my life"_

 _"Well, there was a reason for it, but I trusted him long before I learned about it"_ – a short silence was only broken by heavy thuds of hoofs – _"was it his jokes, his voice? Was it because he showed that he cared? Our meetings and chats, his calmness?"_ – She felt irritated at herself, she wanted answers. Answers she didn't have – _"maybe all of it, maybe none..? I don't know"_  
 _"I really should stop this, shouldn't I? Feeling this way won't do us any good. I…"_ – she sighed watching the horse's ears twitch – _"I should at least try to hide it. I can do it"_

The girl lowered her head with another long sigh, mess of brown hair flowing down over her eyes, but she didn't bother to move it. She wasn't particularly sad about her decision, didn't feel bad about herself. She felt empty, cold emptiness, nothing more.  
That was good, right? That meant she could let go easier than she thought. At least, that's what she told herself.

She tried to make that feeling stay, tried to make it take over. She hoped her emotions and feelings for him would fade, at least, a little bit. And for a moment she thought they did. For a split second she stopped making excuses, seemingly, ready to accept the fact that they were not meant to be.  
"He sees me as a kid anyway" – she muttered. Somehow it made her feel a little better, more confident.  
As if she found a reason behind her action, as if it wasn't her call to begin with.

The cavern was drawing near, glimpse of its entrance caught her eye. A bit closer and she could hear a quiet hum with an occasional 'nyeh' echo inside.  
The smile she didn't notice disappearing was back on her lips growing in size with the excitement of meeting Papyrus.  
Jogging to the opening Casey peeked inside. The tall skeleton was staring at his lap, a book between his red gloves was resting there. She'd seen it few times before: "Advanced Puzzle Construction for Critical Minds". She even asked to see it once, but couldn't wrap her head around it, so, after about an hour, gave up, promising herself not to fry her brain with it ever again.

Papyrus noticed her the moment her small shadow fell inside. Closing the book he looked up.  
"Hello Casey" – he beamed, his voice loud as usual – "It's good to see you're well. It's been a while since we 'hung out'" – he spoke the last words in a hushed tone, as if worried that someone would hear – "that's what you call it, right? Sans always does"  
It felt like he wasn't sure if he made a mistake and was trying to place the blame on his older brother. Casey nodded and his features and voice instantly went back to normal.  
"In any case, I'm happy we met today. After an entire week you finally got to see the Great Papyrus again. It must be exciting for you"  
"It really is" – she laughed looking around, Sans wasn't there. She let out a sigh of relief – "so, how have you been?"

The girl sat down taking the most comfortable position, her back against Cinis who fell asleep behind her. She was ready for Papyrus' endless rant, his joy and innocence she needed so much right about now.  
"Is everything alright?" – He suddenly asked.  
 _What?_  
"Yeah… Why?"  
"My brother said you help Alphys get us out. Is that correct?"  
Casey nodded, though it wasn't exactly accurate, Sans must've had a reason to say that.

She wondered where he was going with this, but there didn't seem to be an obvious reason.  
Somehow he sounded so mature all of a sudden. His innocence disappeared behind concern, she'd never seen him like that. It made her uncomfortable.  
"Then why doesn't it feel right?" – He held his hand to his chin as he came closer. His eyes narrowed, it looked like he was trying to read the answer within her – "It wasn't like this last week, what happened?"

She didn't know _what_ was different, but didn't need to guess the reason behind whatever it was. That journal or how she liked to call it, the book: that was the only thing she could think of, everything else was just like before. But Sans gave it to her, he wouldn't unless it was safe, right? He really must've not known, whatever Papyrus was referring to must've been unintentional.

"Sans lent me a book" – she began, careful not to say too much. Answering truthfully seemed to be the best cause of action – "I read it a bit… it contained a bit of magic" – _yeah, a bit, way to go Casey_ – "maybe that's what feels off?"  
"It could be" – his voice was cheery again. Thank God.  
"But I don't like it" – aaand it's serious again. Damn it…  
Casey stayed still for a while, not making a sound. Part of her wanted to wait for him to speak, she didn't know what to say or do anyway. And Papyrus staring at her with an expression somewhere between suspicion and thoughtfulness didn't help.

"What do you mean?" – She asked after what felt like good thirty minutes, though it probably wasn't more than few. At that point she was kind of worried he wouldn't remember his last statement, but knew better than to question his memory.  
"Well…" – he paused for a second, searching for right words – "there seems to be something mixed with your magic right now" – he said calmly as if it was a usual procedure for him – "As great as I am, I usually can't sense anything like that this fast, but this _thing_ is very strong"  
"More specifically, please" – she now looked straight into his eyes, not caring how harsh she sounded. The growing feeling of terror threatening to break free.

 _What did he mean 'something strong' was mixed in her? There was something_ _ **in**_ _her?_  
The voices from last night returned to her mind and she scolded herself for ever forgetting. Whatever those 'old kings' did was now affecting her, it was too much of a coincidence for Papyrus to be mistaken. This, his words, proved one more time that the voices were more than just a dream.  
She never doubted, but couldn't believe it entirely either, a small part of her was skeptical, a part of her that was now gone.

"I'm sorry, Casey, but it seems like even my greatness isn't enough to answer you" – he looked down, as if ashamed of himself – "perhaps Alphys will be able to help you, she's very smart"  
"I'll ask her" – the young human nodded letting a smile dance on her rosy lips – "thanks Papyrus"  
She wanted to change the subject, it felt weird and uncomfortable talking about something she was still wrapping her head around. And even weirder trying to come up with answers she obviously couldn't have. She'd have to ask Sans, as much as she'd rather not to right now.

…

She caught herself on that thought. Why did she immediately assume he'd know what was wrong? Sure he had answers before, but this wouldn't be the first time if he didn't either. All while Papyrus had already given her a hint, he was obviously willing to help. All she needed to do was ask.

"Say" – she began, glancing around one more time. They were alone – "is this a bad thing?"  
He thought for a moment – "not really, no. But it's strange"  
"In what way?"  
"It's old, very very old. We don't have anything that old in the Underground… well except for his majesty and one other monster"  
"Is it dangerous?" – She held her hand to her chest as a way to point at it, at _them_. Her voice was quiet, reluctant, but empty of the fear she possessed for the possible answer.  
"I can't tell" – how was he so calm was beyond her – "it seems fine, but the barrier's blocking most of what I sense"  
"Is there something I can do about it?"  
It was getting harder to hide the panic rising in her. At that point she wasn't even sure if he could hear it.

"Give me your hand" – a deep voice inched closer and Casey's eyes darted from Papyrus meeting his.

 _How long had he been there?  
How much had he heard?_

His eye sockets were half-closed, little pins now ash gray, they had strangely captivating dim glow to them, she couldn't look away. His eyebrows furrowed he stared at her and it seemed like the air around him was darker. His smile was non-existent and she could swear she saw a cyan glow coming from between his teeth.  
In one word she could think of, he looked enraged and she hoped she wasn't the reason. She did as he said without much resistance, he was too intimidating for it.  
Before she realized that the barrier was a perfect protection, was she to disobey, her one hand was in his two, almost completely invisible from under snow white bones.

"The hell ya got yourself into?" – His voice was low and dark, laced with confusion and worry.  
"I'm trying to understand that myself"  
 _Didn't she show that enough?_  
"Dove, Paps can control and sense magic better than anyone else it in the Underground. But even I can feel that something's off. And now" – he squeezed her hand a little to emphasize what he meant – "now I can _see_ it too"  
He stepped closer and her fingers brushed against his shirt.  
"Tell me **everything** that happened, love"

For a moment she glanced back at his brother, unsure of how to proceed. As if reading her mind he came closer, his smile easing her. He placed his large hand over his brother's in an attempt to comfort her.  
"Don't worry, we'll help" – he said in his usual cheery voice. It sounded forced, she appreciated it more.

Casey nodded taking a deep breath before she opened her mouth to speak.  
Silence.  
She opened her eyes that seemed to have closed without her consent.  
Darkness.

"Don't tell them" "You can't tell them" "anything"  
"Don't trust them" "ever" "none" "You must keep away"

The voices came together, barely any time separating each, but she understood.

"You know why we did it"  
"Yes" – she heard her own voice speak. She knew what they meant. The war, the massacre.  
"You know we were right"  
"Yes" – she wanted to stop herself, but the answer had already sounded.  
She wanted to say how much she hated that past, that what they did could never be justified, but no other sound left her mouth.  
The presence now accompanying each voice was growing stronger. She wouldn't dare fight, they were too powerful, too determined. She wanted to get away, to hide, she wanted this to stop.

It didn't.

"You will help us finish what we started"  
This voice was new. The others ceased the moment he spoke. It was deeper than the rest, older.  
It made her feel small, powerless, like a child in front of a lion. She felt her body shake as she held back the one word that was trying to break free.  
"Yes" – her voice betrayed her. It traveled forth and the kings left. She felt lighter, safer now that the voices couldn't reach her.

Her friends' faces came into view little by little, slightly blurred by tears she felt streaming down her face. Sans' voice was calling for her, probably asking if she was alright. She didn't listen.  
"The old kings" – her small, shaking voice echoed silencing the others – "they want me to complete it"

Silence. She hated it. She spoke to break it.

"Sans… They want me to complete the barrier"


	12. Closer

Her hand was trembling against his as she spoke almost like to herself.  
The old kings… He tried to understand what she meant, tried to remember, but there was nothing. He'd never heard of them and, frankly, wasn't sure what was happening at all. Maybe she didn't mean it literally, maybe there was something she didn't say? Hardly, but he couldn't think of anything else.  
"What do ya mean, dove?" – He asked softly, his gaze pinning to her large hazel irises – "who are those… kings?"  
Casey straightened her back and her eyes widened for a moment before she let out a small chuckle. As she wiped away the few remaining tears her muscles relaxed.

Her usual soft, sweet smile covered her lips and he found himself drawn to it again. He only realized how close to her he moved when a dull sound echoed almost too quietly, barely reaching him, followed by a shooting pain in his leg that quickly traveled up. Apparently his knee really missed an especially sharp rock covered in gross absolutely delightful moss.  
Sans let out a muffled curse suppressing a silent cry of a dying warrior in him. Luckily Paps didn't hear him, or he wouldn't see the end of his worried lecture. Though the girl did look at him funny, it took him a moment to realize why. He visibly relaxed, no longer crashing her fragile looking hand, though not letting it go either.

"Right" – she breathed out soothing the large grey creature with her free hand. It looked worried about her – "I didn't explain anything, did I? I'm sorry"  
Her eyes stopped on something on the side for a moment before she turned back to him.

Without looking him in the eye she began to talk. It seemed like she wanted to forget everything, telling what happened to herself like a story, hoping to bring it to closure. He didn't interrupt, it felt like he'd scare her off if he made a sound.  
Looking up he saw Papyrus listening closely, he did too.

She talked about last night, about her dream. She repeated that word few times, making it sound doubtful each time, as if she thought it was more than that. No she didn't think, she _knew_.  
She told them about the dark nothingness that failed to scare her against her best judgement, about the voices strong and overwhelming, yet too quiet. She told him how they taught her a spell, how they promised her their knowledge.  
She talked fondly at first, she smiled and her eyes twinkled with delight. Her voice peaked for a moment when she realized, for the first time for herself, that she'd heard voices from past. If that wasn't enough they promised her the one thing she was craving for, for as long as he knew her.  
Though he had his doubts about the origin of the voices he wasn't one to discourage her. So he listened slightly irritated at the fact that they could be 'real', that they could've meant more to her now than him. He'd never admit that aloud, but that thought scared him. What if she chose the help of the humans, now that they could give her the same, if not more?

But his worries soon faded into anger and he almost forgot what he was thinking.  
She spoke of that day, of less than an hour ago. She was different, her voice was shaking, her smile was nonexistent. He felt her small, delicate fingers dig into few folds of his shirt, it seemed to be calming her. He didn't mind.  
 _The old kings… they tried to keep her away from him_. They made her accept what she despised, promise what she never wanted to.  
She was scared, she wanted to resist them. She needed, wanted his help.  
He knew even when she didn't say it, her Soul whispered faintly to his as if reluctant, scared of someone hearing.

"It's ok, dove" – Sans half-whispered – "they can't harm you"  
"How can you tell?"  
"You said it yourself. They're voices, nothing more"  
Casey furrowed for a moment lowering her gaze in thought, her free hand rose and her olive fingers flexed around the silver cross she always had around her neck. It seemed to be a habit of her he didn't question.

After a couple of more minutes her pulse regulated and she looked calmer. Though she mumbled few protests at first, she grew silent quiet fast and when she finally looked up a soft smile complimented her features.  
"You're right" – she sighed – "I don't know why I panicked. Thanks Sans"  
"But why would your kings hurt you?" – Pap's voice broke the short silence making the girl jump a little. Both Casey and Sans became painfully aware of his presence.  
"I think they're trying to look out for you" – his narrowed eyes widened into empty blackness once again as he came to a conclusion "A king wouldn't want anything bad for his people"

His brother let out a small, heartfelt laugh and his dove watched the tall skeleton, parting her lips she held back whatever words were on her mind. Her expression was pained. What was she thinking?  
Sans expected something out of her, a hint, but all that came out was a sigh.  
She nodded without saying a word. Another silence fell, this one uncomfortable. He couldn't see her scared or sad. Now she showed both.

"Knock knock" Sans smiled at his dove's adorable confusion.  
"Who's there?" She decided to play along. Perfect.  
"To"  
"To who?"  
"No, silly. It's to whom"  
A quiet chuckle rang from her lips and for once Pap didn't mind his brother's jokes.

"Knock knock"  
"Who's there" – this time her response came quicker.  
"Etch"  
"Etch who?"  
"Bless you"

Her hand clapped over her mouth in an attempt to silence a snicker. But it appeared to be louder than expected. Sans' grin widening he leaned on the cliff by the crack staring at her. Another joke, few puns, she laughed with each.  
She seemed to be much closer to her usual self. At the very least it was evident that he was able to distract her for a while, he was able to bring her bright smile back to her. He felt proud of it, happy too of course, but proud more than anything.

Soon everything was back to normal, they talked about everything and nothing, joked, laughed. On top of everything, as miraculous as it was, Pap didn't mind any of Sans' puns, so he went full force with them.

"So you're saying there are giant creatures living in water?" – Papyrus rubbed his chin narrowing his eyes.  
"Yeah! They're so cool" – Casey rocked from one side to the other in giddy excitement.  
"And your favorite is one of the more dangerous ones? What is wrong with you, human?"  
"Orcas are awesome" – The girl pouted in a childish manner. Taking out her phone she poked its screen for few seconds – "here, look"  
She turned the device, holding it closer for both brothers to see. On its screen was a black and white weirdly shaped creature Sans thought was familiar. The space around it was dark blue, while the strange layer above the creature had lighter and darker streaks along it like a wrinkled cloth. A light blue dot on the layer looked a lot like a star with few uneven dashes around it and bright, almost white center.

"What's that white thingy?" – Sans pointed at the screen.  
Casey tilted her head along with her phone taking a quick glance at the photo.  
"The sun" – she said in a still sulky voice.  
"That's impossible human. I'm looking at the sun right now, it's much brighter"  
Sans looked up, slightly flinching as his brothers voice became too loud too fast.

Paps looked triumphal. He really was learning about surface fast, sucking all the information Casey provided like a sponge. As promised he was very careful around those who didn't know, but took every opportunity around Sans and Alphys to show his great wisdom. Apparently he didn't hold back with a human either.  
"It is brighter" – the girl's soft voice pulled Sans out of his thoughts – "but not when you're underwater" Papyrus' jaw dropped as he remembered what kind of creature he was looking at earning another sweet chuckle from his dove.

Sans let out an irritated sigh at himself robbing his forehead.  
"Why is everything she does so darn adorable" – his mind groaned – "Why do I act like a fucking teenager? She's not the first girl I'm interested in… not the last either"  
The words made sense, yet he couldn't understand them, couldn't believe his own mind, not entirely. But he already knew that he'd never admit it, not aloud, not to himself.

He looked up at her and was relieved that she wasn't paying much attention to him. Whatever his face might've done would stay a secret between him and his weirdness.  
Papyrus was listening, with intensity he rarely saw in his brother, to her expression of her undying love for orcas like they were her family.  
He listened to her tell how she dreamed of swimming with those giant hunters, followed by a shorter story of how terrified she was of the sea. Her eyes twinkled like they always did when she talked about something she loved, sometimes dimming, but never for long.  
He wondered if her smile and her eyes were ever fake for him, wished he could tell. But she was far better at hiding than he'd ever be, that told him a lot.

A weak sting spread through his forehead and he jumped back almost falling over before he regained his balance. He clicked his tongue realizing what happened and how stupid it was of him. Let's just say he was a tiny bit too close to the barrier.  
"Oh my God. Are you ok?" – Pap's voice rang like it usually did back home as he looked his brother over, his hands were hanging in the air as if ready to catch the monster was he to fall. Sans quickly made a gesture for papyrus to keep quiet to which the younger brother nodded pressing both hands on his mouth.  
"You should be more careful" – he continued in a hushed tone, sounding both upset and worried. He reached out and Sans was about to calm him down -after all it wasn't anything remotely serious- but both brothers froze for a moment. One in shock, other in curiosity.

Sans felt something soft and warm graze over his forehead. Maybe it was only his imagination, but it reminded him of a petal of an echo flower. He didn't need to guess to know what it was.  
Savoring each brief moment he slowly looked over as if scared to startle a weary creature.  
Leaning on a large piece of rock she was reaching inside, still careful to keep her chest away. Her gentle fingers stroked the spot that was supposed to hurt. Truth be told it still ached, but he could barely feel it now, he forgot it was there.  
Her thumb carefully rubbed his skull as she absentmindedly stared at the motion she herself made.

Sans didn't dare to move or speak, he cursed himself for swallowing 'too loudly'. If it was possible he's probably stop breathing too. Luckily Casey didn't mind any of it, she didn't seem to notice much at all, lost in her own thoughts.

For a moment Sans wished, hoped that the hand she was leaning on would slip. With her Soul so close to the barrier that would be all it'll take for her to fall right into his arms.  
He caught himself with his arm inching up faster than he'd appreciate to admit. He quickly pulled it back.

"The hell am I doing?" – He hissed at himself – "pull her in and ya can say goodbye to any chance ya, probably, don't have. Dumbass"  
Talking to himself wasn't the weirdest thing he'd done, never really cared if people heard him. But now he was happy she didn't, the things he let slip from his tongue weren't by far the best.

"Umm, human?" – He'd forgotten Papyrus was there, but he'd appreciate another minute or two hours of this closeness, any closeness – "what are you doing?"  
"Doesn't this hurt?" – She asked almost to herself still rubbing the small area – "right here is… blue?"  
It sounded as a question, but he wasn't sure she intended it to be. She spoke as if wasn't sure of the color she was staring at.

Sans' growing smile fell as her eyes widened, the color in them becoming more visible. Her arm bolted back and he was about to grab it, but managed to hold his stupid instincts back.  
Her gaze darted everywhere but him, embarrassed to meet his eye. Everything good has to end, huh?  
"Sorry" – Casey quickly muttered – "didn't mean to make this awkward"  
"Nah, don't sweat it" – Sans chuckled after few moments, not too soon to seem affected by it, not too late to create an awkward silence – "you were worried for me. I appreciate it"

His own words made him happier than they should have 'she was worried'. That meant she cared in some way or form.  
It didn't take much to bring the usual atmosphere back: nothing too serious, just friendly conversations.

When it was time for Papyrus' training with Undyne, Casey looked a bit upset. Though it wasn't the first time, Sans disliked it more and more with each day.

With one more smile left behind Sans teleported his brother in front of a fish-like house and was back baster than a human heart could beat.  
He chuckled when all he could see of his dove were her legs as she, presumably, reached for something.  
"Our house is gonna be a mess if she's this lazy too" – he grinned, not even trying to stop the thoughts that rushed into his mind.  
Slowly she crawled back dragging a rolled paper into view. She only spared him a glance before trying and failing to get the paper into the cave.

Though he loved the fact that she was now comfortable with his teleporting enough to disregard it, something else amused him much more. Sometimes she was too clumsy and for that exact reason he didn't help her in the slightest. He watched, snickering to himself, as Casey suffered from the hands of her arch nemesis: uneven cracks.  
It was a solid minute if not more before he took the scroll, swiping away the tears that were previously streaming down like a waterfall.

Leaning on a wall under the crack he unfolded the sheet, fighting the urge to break the sharp rocks, poking on his back, off. Though he knew exactly what he'd find inside he found himself getting curious.  
For a while he looked over the rows upon rows of symbols in complicated patterns that covered the paper almost entirely. The longer he stared the more details appeared in front of him.  
The sheer size of information stored in it was overwhelming and it felt like he'd never understand it. He felt disappointed and helpless.

"They showed me that" – Casey's voice came from behind, a lot closer than it should've.  
Sans jumped a little, his head shooting in her direction. As he suspected she was not in the same position as before. Lying on her stomach she was hugging a handmade pillow and her face was mere inches away from his own. From there he could see the line separating two colors in her eye so clearly.  
Seeing his reaction she breathed out a small sorry, but didn't move. Probably thinking she simply startled him. He did his best not to show much emotion, worried that she might notice his thoughts.  
He leaned back hoping to enjoy their closeness instead.  
 _Too easy._

His back against a hard, cold and uneven surface of a dark and dump cavern he relaxed. He was comfortable, physically as well, where no one should be able to be. For a bit he forgot where he was, only caring about her near him, about her voice talking about a cat she befriended. For a moment he even forgot about the powerful magic in his hands, staring at it blankly, but only for a moment. A split second he barely noticed.

After few minutes he was completely absorbed in her illustration, in his work. Her presence now a comforting warmth, not direly necessary, but without which, it seemed, he'd get distracted far easier.

This magic really was something special. Sans was pleasantly surprised when he could distinguish the symbols far easier, despite most of them being unfamiliar he could somewhat read them.  
"What do you think is the difference between this and the others?" – Sans asked lifting the paper for a moment as an indication.  
Casey took a minute to think, tapping her chin as she did.  
"Well this one came to me easier" – her voice echoed – "It was faster to finish too, even though it's bigger. I think the kings, whoever they are, had something to do with it"  
"Like what?" – the skeleton raised a brow along with questions about skeleton physics in her mind.  
"I don't know, but they told me I had to 'accept their knowledge', so I guess they taught it to me"

Sans clenched his non-existing chest to calm his non-existing heart when the girl jumped up way too quickly for comfort. Suddenly he didn't feel as comfortable anymore, he stretched his back, but it hardly helped.  
"Heh _hardly_ " – he chuckled to himself as an unintentional pun formed in his mind – "hardly, cause it's hard"  
He was amused at his own overly obvious and lame explanation far more than one should be.  
Recovering from his unexpected distraction he turned his attention back to the girl. She fiddled in her bag mumbling incoherent complains to herself as well as Sans. Though it felt longer, I took her half a minute to pull a notebook out.

Its black cover decorated with bright blue and silver patterns caught his attention. They weren't anything special, just simple shapes put in rows and columns, yet they seemed new and unusual to him.  
"I wrote this while reading your book" – her voice was doubtful, almost like a question as she carefully handed him the notebook – "I thought it might help"  
"It could" – Sans nodded.

The item felt cold and uneven at touch, but not unpleasant. He grinned, humans really were incredible despite everything they did. Even without magic they managed to make up for it in the smallest of things. For a moment he wondered what both could achieve if humans and monsters worked together.

Feeling the soft fur-like fabric on few of the shapes Sans banished that thought, flipping the notebook open. Less than half of its pages were filled with text in neat handwriting with few doodles in between.  
A hint of blue hue appeared on his cheekbone when doodles of his own face caught his eye. He quickly turned the page, relaxing when she didn't notice anything.  
She was distracted and somewhat absent-minded, her legs dangling in the air, while she stared at the lone echo flower on the other shore.

"Do ya think this'll work" – Sans asked unexpected to himself. He never intended that thought to sound out loud, never intended her to hear it. Slowly he looked back half hoping that she didn't hear.  
He found Casey perfectly still, her eyes fixed on his own.  
"Do ya think we'll get out?" – He tried to make it sound casual. It felt wrong to discard the question, but sounding desperate didn't seem appealing either.  
"We'll make it work" – her voice was low, yet strong and confident. It was…  
He chuckled at the thought. If he was to describe determination that would be it, _she_ in that moment would be it.

As much as her words seemed empty to him he appreciated her thought. He told her so and delighted at the quiet, happy chuckle reaching him from behind.

Sans closed his eyes for a bit forgetting the work, he listened to her instead. Her quiet hum, her heartbeat and excited chirping of her voice as she went on about a raven that visited her few days in a row.

It all seemed so casual, he wouldn't mind hearing it every day. And at that moment it all seemed to be for him. He didn't care how stupid that was, for now he wanted to believe it.


	13. Linked

Hey guys. No I'm not dead, you can relax now.  
But seriously, I'm so so sorry I didn't update sooner. Exams came up and had no time to write for over a month.  
But I'm back and ready to get back into this.  
Enjoy :)

...

The next day they didn't meet. Casey sat by her window all day waiting for the heavy rain to stop, but it never did.  
Her mood got increasingly worse with each passing hour as she looked through the old journal Sans gave her, reading some parts out loud in hopes to finally make a spell work, but, unsurprisingly, nothing happened. Still she tried again and again, to a point where the strange language sounded natural to her. Whether because the magic in her responded to it or she simply grew accustomed to it she couldn't tell.

The week started again, but this time accompanied with rumors, not too obvious, as if hiding. No one seemed to know where they originated, not even Lucy, but they were about her and Nye, more specifically about their little encounter no one saw or knew about, or so she thought.  
The bits and pieces they learned about weren't anything too crazy, but were annoying nonetheless. Most were saying she rejected him, which wasn't too far from reality, but for some reason the students kept more distance between them and Casey than before. It was unsettling, like they were planning something.

She couldn't understand what they were hoping to accomplish with their behavior, but the girl didn't change her own in any way, didn't avoid people or places, although noticed whispers follow her. She showed no interest in anything, pretended to ignore every word, yet listened carefully in hopes to get a hint about the one who was responsible.

It had only been few days when the rumors began to die down. Both Nye and Lucy were happy to be free of it, while it bugged Casey a bit too much. It seemed too sudden.  
She knew she looked too skeptical and paranoid, even without the siblings reminding her every other hour, but she couldn't drive away the feeling that something was off.

It wasn't long before she felt like she needed a distraction from all the stupid drama that surrounded her lately, from school altogether, from people.  
Ignoring everything else Casey gave her full attention to Sans' mysterious journal hoping to unveil more of its content that, despite her efforts, stayed unknown to her. Ironic, really, but there wasn't much that could be done except wait for Sans to explain it.

With each old page turned the kings sounded more and more clear, helping her, guiding her. Even though their voices were nothing more than tattered whispers they helped, their magic flowed alongside her own, showing her the way.  
She knew better than to trust them, but never showed any distress. If nothing else she could at least use their knowledge to her and monsters' benefit.  
She could, couldn't she? They couldn't harm her or anyone else, they were only voices, nothing more.  
She reminded that to herself every time she did, plotted or thought something against them. After all, despite everything, they scared her.

On the last day of the week a lot work and effort was put in a new circle, the second one that kings taught her.  
Hues of orange and sickening yellow filled the empty house, dying patterns on walls and wooden boards that peeked from under an old Armenian carpet - the only thing that calmed Casey in its dark red and blue shades.

Several large sheets of paper were neatly placed in the middle of it. With Eilis away for few days Casey didn't need to hide anything in her room or studio, except for the book.  
But most importantly she could work in more comfortable setting. It was like a lucky coincidence that her mother would leave now of all times, now that she had to work on, according to the kings, the biggest circle there was. Almost too lucky.

She circled the sheets concentrating her thoughts on what was on them alone. She carefully looked each stroke over and found no mistakes. Arcs and lines stopped near the edges on most of the papers only to continue on the next one. All created one huge mark on nine large sheets. It was quiet similar to the last one, the only difference being the size, yet it was still unique and unfamiliar in an odd way.  
The dense rows of text overlapped each other, while, at times, paused leaving visible blank chunks. It almost felt like some parts were erased, yet the text wasn't incomplete.  
The glyphs themselves were different too, though most looked the same, they _felt_ different.

The sky was turning purple when Casey averted her gaze stretching her back. She was almost done, but could barely stay awake. The best she could do was get some rest and continue in the morning.  
In few minutes she was already back in her room, cozily wrapped in a blanket, away from her work. Still its image lingered in her mind.  
Gathering her courage she closed her eyes and, for the first time was the first to speak to the ones that haunted her.

"Is there much more left?" She asked, for now, an innocent question of curiosity. She was surprised when answers followed.

 _"Not much" "You're almost there" "You're doing well"_

Their voices were so calm, so soothing that she hated it. She hated how she appreciated it. They were the villains for Sans, for monsters. The way they talked was so caring, it almost felt like they were trying to gain her trust. At least that's what she wanted to believe.

"What is it anyway?" She asked again, her voice still carefully hiding her anticipation.

Silence.  
Like they weren't even there.

It felt like an eternity had passed when a whisper sounded in her head, dying quicker than it came.  
 _"A seal"_

"And what do you want me to do with it?" Casey's brows furrowed as she stared at the emptiness in front of her, her attention still at the blackness _they_ were hiding in.  
 _"Remember it" "Don't forget"  
"Keep our knowledge" "Keep our secret"_

The voices ceased again and this time, they didn't return. Her eyes half open she lay still thinking of what they said. Repeating the few words they uttered.  
She bit her nail, mind far from reality. Their secret, a seal… If she learned anything about the kings it could mean only one thing. It was a seal to lock the monsters.  
 _"But why would they need it? Monsters already can't get out"_ her mind raced, but no answer followed.  
She wished she could ask them, wished they'd tell the truth. She didn't hear her breath getting softer, didn't notice her consciousness slipping. The presence of the kings disappeared as if leaving to not disturb her. But that never was the case.

The moment she fell asleep and the world around faded _their_ darkness was all around her. Just like last time whispers, that were never really there, filled the lasting silence. Just like last time each whisper added a symbol, a curve, a line. Each whisper along with the rest created a mark, another circle so familiar, yet not the one she was tirelessly working on for the past week.  
Her eyes widened for a brief moment and she woke up with a small gasp. Morning light poured in from the world into her own.

She recognized the circle as the one she first found. It was odd they showed it to her, so quickly and briefly like they knew she'd seen it before.  
"Maybe there was an order to them?" She whispered the first idea that popped to her mind.  
She kinda forgot it, but the memories refreshed the moment she saw its form, so that was convenient.  
The girl huffed pushing herself up.

The morning was dull and grey, calling the girl back to sleep.  
Though the kings were silent she could tell when they were away, too deep in their darkness and when they watched her work.  
She couldn't deny it was creepy, but that was one of her lesser worries.

When she was done the sky was, once again clear and the weather was warm. A small smile tugged on Casey's lips as she carefully rolled the few sketches, hiding them in the safety of her studio.  
For a bit everything seemed to be back to normal. Like it used to be – it seemed – so long ago.

"What are you doing?"  
A sudden voice echoed in Casey's mind, the one she recognized as the youngest and gentlest of the kings. For a moment she stopped rummaging through a box she pulled from under her bed. This king was the only one that ever spoke without an apparent reason, but this time it felt like he knew she was up to something.  
Though none of the old kings could _see_ anything the same way humans could, but they could see her emotions and fragments of her thoughts and memories.  
"Just looking for something" her mind responded dismissively. She tried her best to hide her thoughts and plans from them, but knew all too well that a task like that was near impossible "for a friend" she added mentally slapping herself for neglecting her own rule to speak only when necessary.  
"Ah, I see" she could hear him smile then chuckle when she pulled out a small box from under old papers and textbooks falling on her butt.

Casey huffed mindlessly at the voice, still admiring its calm tone. It had a strange feel to it too: friendly, almost caring.

Brushing a thin layer of dust she opened the box taking out her old phone. Though a bit worn out it worked perfectly well.  
The king stayed quiet as she set everything up. She wondered if the soul knew what she was doing, she did think of her steps after all.  
She grumbled few complains under her breath when the battery sign in the corner glowed red.

"Another one of your… _phones_ , is it?" The gentle voice of a strong presence returned echoing in emptiness.  
"Yeah. It's my old one"  
"And which of your friends is it for?" His voice sounded curious, while his question: demanding "they all seem to have one already"

"It's…" Case stopped for a moment. She wanted to stay quiet, to tell him to stay out of her personal business. But the thought of his presence suffocated her like a thick cloud of ash. Each king was like that. She couldn't bring herself to go against them.  
"It's for Sans" she half-whispered as if hoping he wouldn't hear. The device held close to her chest she subconsciously feared someone snatching it away.  
It fell silent for a short while, each second passing felt longer than the last.

"It's troublesome when we don't know when we'll be there. Or _if_ we will" she sighed masking her fear under a monotone voice.  
"Is this because of last week" he let out a light laugh. It seemed to her like her words convinced him.  
"Yes. I realized that things like that can happen more often, now that… winter is coming".  
She smiled to herself knowing all too well that the voice wouldn't understand the reference. He didn't answer, only hummed in agreement. He appeared so likable, so understanding. Never asked anything she didn't want to talk about and if he ever did, never pushed for an answer.  
It made it harder to dislike him.

The kings remained quiet for the rest of the morning. She appreciated the time alone she craved for a long time.

It was still early when Casey headed towards the mountain, the forest around it seemed ominous in red-orange hues of autumn and thin mist. But the girl liked it, it seemed so mysterious.  
Cinis was excited too, breaking into a gallop as soon as he could after few days spent in stables. His rider felt free with wind in her hair as they rushed by a long cliff. It felt like forever and not just a week.

* * *

Papyrus' voice echoed in frustration as Sans held himself back from laughing.  
"Calm down, bro" he chuckled when the tall skeleton gripped his puzzle book a bit too tight "that wasn't intentional"  
"And that's a problem, Sans" he slammed the book shut "you don't even try anymore to make those horrible jokes"

Sans couldn't deny, an hour of non-stop puns might've been too much on his side. Still he did his best to lighten the mood ignoring the few sweat drops on his skull.  
"What can I say?" He grinned, his voice carefree "I'm that good"  
His brother's eye twitched and he was about to yell another argument, that, to be fair, wasn't wrong, when a sound they both were waiting for echoed, coming closer by second.

A quick thud grew louder and his soulbeat soon caught up, his chest glowing with cyan magic. He barely noticed when the air around his chest began to shake with each breath.  
His glowing eyes stayed pinned to the crack and his smile widened ever so slightly. Sans watched as the young human came into view, leaning on the far wall, under bright rays he half-listened to two voices speak. He only talked occasionally, only if asked a question or when an opportunity for a joke presented itself.

He laughed whenever Paps scolded Casey, telling her not to laugh at his "bother's stupid jokes", saying that it was encouraging him.  
Of course Sans would never admit it, but she really did. Her, at times, weird, yet heartfelt laughter made him want to be the reason behind it.

It felt so long before Pap had to go, before he could stay alone with her. Though the girl looked discouraged, at the idea of her best friend leaving, Sans let himself be selfish. He let himself feel happy for himself.  
Just like last few times Sans took his brother back to "attend to his duties" and was back in few short seconds.

Casey sat on the edge, her legs dangling inside the cave as if the barrier was never an issue. Sans heard her speak as he took slow steps towards her, but didn't catch any of her words as his mind raced to come up with his own.  
Trying to appear calm and composed he casually rested an arm over her knees leaning the other elbow so close to the barrier he could feel the sun's warmth.

"Say, dove, are ya a magician?" She raised a brow at his words "Cause whenever I look at you everything else disappears"  
He grinned visibly proud of himself. The confusion on her face was expected, so he continued.  
"Or maybe a camera? Cause every time I look at you I smile"  
The girl chuckled shaking her head "you always smile, Sans"  
"No I don't. It's just every time ya see me I look at you"  
Casey just stared at him in amusement "makes sense" she hummed playing along with his shitty attempt of flirting. He didn't even know where the idea came from, he just went with it.

Sans leaned on one leg, his ribs now resting on her knees, while his eyes stayed locked with hers.  
"By the way" he said, his voice turning serious for a moment "there's something wrong with my phone, I hoped you could help me with it" taking the device out of his pocked he glanced at it before turning his eye sockets back to her "it doesn't have your number in it"

The human quickly clapped a palm over her mouth, struggling not to burst out laughing.  
"I thought you were serious" she half whispered in disbelief after a while and reached for a small box she brought with her "actually it's funny you said that" she placed it on her lap "I found my old phone the other day. I thought you could use for now, since we can't reach each other right now"  
Staring at the thing he hesitated for a moment. She did say _'for now'_ , but knowing the girl she would never ask it back.  
He felt her shift a little before her voice sounded once again "with this we can at least text each other if something comes up, like last Sunday"

Without a word he lazily opened the thing looking the device over. He knew how childish it was, but he couldn't suppress the sudden irritation. She sounded so professional and confident, like keeping each other notified was all she was hoping to get out of this exchange.

Stuffing the box into his pocket the skeleton grinned, like he usually did. It wasn't honest, but he didn't want to dwell on anything negative. He wanted to speak with her normally, to joke with her and, luckily, Casey didn't comment on his odd behavior. Even though she could probably see right through his little act.  
For the time being he was glad he could simply be by her side. So close to her.

Sans' smile fell for a split second when the girl had to go. Even almost two hours alone with her seemed too little.  
It felt cold and empty when he stepped back, but he didn't show. He waved her goodbye like he always did. He missed her already, but he knew he'd meet her next day or, at the very least, would constantly text her.  
He stood there for a bit longer, staring at the opening yet failing to notice it.

It was hard to tell how much time had passed when the mess of his room appeared in front of him and he plopped down on his matrass, his arm resting on a bundle that used to be his blanket.  
His eyes rested on a painting, that he refused to hang anywhere else in the house, and a low growl echoed in the room.  
"The fuck is wrong with me?" He whisper-yelled "what am I, 12? 'course she has other things to do"  
Shaking his head he took out the new phone and flicked it on, poking around in it as a way of distraction.

There wasn't much in the device, only one contact number he renamed to 'Dove' and few apps that must've been there since the beginning of time.

The screen dimmed then grew dark, yet Sans didn't move. Something seemed odd to him, something that, at first glance was insignificant.  
The background picture was kinda weird at first, but now it made more sense. Talk about hiding a hint in plain sight.  
Under a black horizontal line was a shape he recognized as one of the icons in the menu, the word 'gallery' gave him an idea that she wanted to show him something. But the significance was much bigger than he thought.  
A couple of dozen pictures of another circle, one he hadn't seen before. Its details, its writings.  
The second hint was a note she left for him in the very same phone where she wrote in detail what she'd usually tell him.

But why? Why this way?  
She didn't show in any way she had something for him and just waited for him to figure it out himself. He'd say it was just for fun if the information was any less important.

Then it clicked. She was hiding it.

She was scared of those _kings_ so much that she hid her connection to him. That must've been it.  
Sans greeted his teeth and pulling his knees up rested his arms on them. His head hung low as he watched the dim cyan light from his eye appear brighter now that no other light was visible.

"It's ok, love" he whispered "everything's gonna be ok. We'll get rid of 'em"

"I'll get rid of those **_bastards_** "


	14. Gone

Gone. She was gone, but why? How?

 _"I'm not crazy. I've seen her. I've talked to her. Why is she gone?"  
"Why is Lyn gone?"  
"I remember Nye talking about her"_

 _"Why won't anyone remember her too?"_

Casey sat in a bathroom stall, her head in her hands as questions kept repeating in her mind. That day, when she mentioned the girl her friends looked so confused. At first. Then concern flashed in their eyes, like they were speaking about an imaginary friend no one else could see or something.  
Casey thought they were joking, but no matter who she spoke to the result was the same. The girl she knew simply never existed.

 _"She was a nuisance"_  
A cold voice rang in her head and around her, unheard to others. For a while she had forgotten that the kings could listen in, especially when her thoughts were so chaotic and loud.  
Rising her gaze she furrowed her brows, staring forward well aware that she'd see nothing else, but a white locked door.

 _"She was interfering with our work" "She didn't listen" "opposed us"  
"Getting in our way" "in your way"_

Casey's mind froze on those few words. They spoke like _they_ were the ones who got rid of her. Could they always do that? There was a misunderstanding… right?  
"You got rid of someone, because they were 'in our way'?" She asked using their own words, still not fully believing it. Something inside her was telling her to yell how disgusting and wrong it was, but she was terrified. For once she could identify the feeling right away.  
"How?" The question was next on her list and was out before he knew it.

 _"Her Soul" "she gave it to us long ago"  
"It was simple"_  
"B҉̶̛͉̟͖r̴̡̜̘̣͕̙̹͠o̬̣̙͈̥͘k̢̗͖̭̰̞͙ͅe̻͇͖̹̪̲ ͚̦͕i̪̘͚̯̩͍̜ͅt̨̗͓̮̰̣͔̜"

She felt her body tremble like a leaf. Sans had told her a bit about it. When a human died it was possible to take their Soul, but for that magic was needed. Monsters could do that, not humans. And even then, he never mentioned anyone being forgotten.

"Why doesn't anyone remember her?"  
She waited, but they didn't answer. Casey held back few tears that threatened to fall. She refused to show them weakness, even though she was sure that they knew more about it than they showed.  
She realized just how lucky she was up until now. Lucky that she had never angered them.  
Of course she never gave her soul to anyone and wasn't planning to, but she felt like they still had a certain control over her. They had to, right?

"At least now I know I'm not crazy" She uttered, trying not to think too much about what they said. Criticizing them wasn't the brightest idea to follow.  
She heard one of the kings sigh in an almost understanding, soothing manner.  
"Of course you are not, my girl"

Casey nodded taking long, deep breaths to calm herself. She had to show acceptance and obedience now more than ever.  
After washing her face to freshen up, the girl exited into an empty hallway. Sighing she headed to the exit. She was late for her last lesson anyway, so there was no point in staying.

On her way back she stared at her phone, sheepishly smiling at it. Sans was bombarding her with horrible pick-up lines all morning that only occasionally didn't make her roll her eyes. She tried to ignore it, but that only made things worse as he mixed those with puns bad enough that it, sometimes, took her ten minutes to understand. Normally she'd just reply with something sarcastic, but right now she needed the silliness and distraction it provided.  
She was reading through the pile when her phone beeped with a new message.

He simply wrote 'knock-knock'. The girl didn't have a reason not to respond, so she played along typing the standard reply biting her lip in anticipation. She didn't have a good feeling about this one, questioning where he was going with it. The answer followed quickly.  
 _[Sans:] *Al*_  
She raised a brow trying to think of possible answers, rhymed random words in her head, but nothing she mumbled under her breath made sense.  
The phone vibrated in her hand returning her gaze back to the screen. The thoughtful expression on her face ceased and her eyes widened. Not tearing her eyes away from the words the girl stopped dead in her tracks hoping to God that no one was around see her. For the first time in her life Casey was sure that her face was deep red. She could feel heat travel up her neck to her face and she hurriedly covered half of it with a scarf.

 _[Sans:] *Al give you a kiss if you open the door*_

At this point she was certain there was no way she could ride a horse back home safely. Awkwardly walking to the nearest bench she sat down.  
 _[Dove 3:] *Technically there is no door*_  
She typed trying to dismiss his text and change the topic. Truth be told she was, kind of, happy he wrote that, but her embarrassment was far stronger.

 _[Sans:] *So you're saying…*_

Casey gulped audibly, yet another smile vanishing behind the thin knitted fabric. This was, obviously, NOT going where she wanted it to. Now she knew for a fact, that her choice of words was wrong, and couldn't decide how she felt about it.

 _[Sans:] *…I can kiss you anytime I want?*_

The screen turned black and the girl hid her phone, as it that would make her unread the text. She imagined the skeleton laughing his boney ass off while she was struggling to clear her mind.

 _[Dove 3:] *That's one hell of an assumption to make*_  
She dismissively typed in response. Her olive fingers linger over the keyboard few seconds too long. She couldn't help but reread everything few times over, making sure she didn't make a mistake, wondering why he wrote it. The first assumption was the most obvious one as well as the one she wanted to believe. That he meant it.

Her attention was drawn away for a moment when the kings left. Well, they never really did, but every once in a while they'd go far enough to not hear her.  
She took this chance, there was no telling when the next one would come. She had to talk to him, to tell him everything, he was the only one who'd listen, who'd believe.

 _[Dove 3:] *Hey, Sans?*  
[Sans:] *Yeah?*  
[Dove 3:] *You were wrong. The old kings can do more than just hang around in my head*_

It felt like an eternity had passed before the three bouncing dots appeared and he answered. Casey had a hard time understanding if he was mad, worried or both.

 _Sans: *What did they do, love?*  
[Dove 3:] *Not me, a girl from my school*  
[Dove 3:] *They said she was getting in their way, so they got rid of her. Sans, no one remembers her*_

Nothing. He didn't respond for several very long second, but to her it felt like he wasn't going to, like he didn't believe. Casey herself had a hard time believing, even in her mind it sounded like crazy talk.

 _[Dove 3:] *They said they broke her Soul*_

She typed again after a couple of minutes. It wasn't easy for her to understand, nothing that Sans ever told her about Souls suggested that whatever happened was possible.

 _[Sans:] *don't worry about it. They obviously need you for something. If you show that you'd cooperate, they wouldn't harm you*_

She smiled a little at his response, she knew he was right. Those few words gave her a sense of security. A vague one, but for now that was enough.

Casey's mind was blank for most of the way back. That was her way of keeping the _"intruders"_ away. If there was nothing immediately apparent they wouldn't be able to see deeper, at least they couldn't so far.  
That wasn't an easy task, to keep her thoughts empty, especially for an imaginative person like Casey, but it was a necessity and little by little, she grew accustomed to it.

After taking Cinis for a short run the girl was back home. Unnoticed at first, she wasn't able to lock away the few thoughts that flashed in her mind, streaks of it showing here and there. Bright, wishful thoughts of Sans, Papyrus, brief images of Alphys. The timid, weird scientist, Casey hoped to see again. The only one that was, in a way, like herself. She realized that the yellow dinosaur she only saw once was already a friend to her.

 _"They must not leave"_ a voice hissed in Casey's mind and she didn't need to think twice to realize her mistake. Panicked she tried to block them away, but it was too late, they saw everything. They were there.

 _"Why would you wish to free them?"  
"The monsters" "da͟ng̸e̷̡ro̕͟u̸̡s͠" "must be sealed" _

"T̠̯̫͚̫̯͜ͅh̢̡̫͜e҉̢̰̺͍̹͢y̴̭̤͇͈͈͈̱͔͝" "C҉̷̱̲̪̗͍͉͙͕a̻̲͎͘ń̸̶̪͎̥̦͎͈̫̪n̡͍̜̬̫̝o͏͖̰̻̭̹̗͓̙t̜͎̱͖̩͙͠" "B̥̖̮̠e̞̖͓̙̘̪͕" "F̱̈͂̚r̹̩̹̰̣̥̹ͪ̃̀e̮͙͎̅͋ͥ̓ͣͮe̫̳̖͖̻͇̖ͮ̾̑"

Each voice sounded individually, one word at a time. Each filled with so much hatred and power that it made her shiver. Yet they didn't sound angry, but rather spoke in calm, yet strict disappointment.  
Maybe it was her paranoia speaking, but she felt threat and danger emitting from their presence. Like a thick fog it hung over her and she prayed to God that they didn't sense it.  
For a moment she wanted to ask them why they hated the monsters so much, but she already knew the answer. They were scared of their magic, of their power. Power to take human Souls, power monsters never used. The reason the kings acted nicer to her was obvious, Sans said that too.

"You need me for something" she stated with the skeleton's exact words, a bit surprised at the confidence of her own voice "but I can only guess what it is"  
 _"You know the answer"_ came a calm reply.  
Lowering her gaze Casey nodded. She had an idea, for her, an unsettling one, but it made the most sense. Many hints were sounded, perhaps by chance, perhaps intentionally, and she couldn't help but try and put them together.  
Now that she thought about it, it shouldn't have taken her that long to understand that what they wanted was as obvious as it first seemed.

"You want me to seal them away, don't you?" She spoke in a half whisper, but they still heard. They didn't speak, but she could feel their pleased aura. So that really was it.  
"But I don't understand. They're already in the Underground, behind a barrier"

 _d_

"What more can I do? What more there is _to_ do?"

They were silent for a while, something they often did when thinking. But unlike before it wasn't a mere silence, she could feel something else.  
While they could see her thoughts, she learned to feel theirs in return. Not words, but intentions, it was an odd feeling she knew would help no doubt.

 _"They're trying to break it. We can feel it"_ the gentle king sighed after a while. He seemed reluctant to reveal the information.  
That wasn't surprising, it wasn't a secret that they didn't fully trust her. That was why they got rid of Lyn. They wouldn't tell even if she asked, but that was the only real reason Casey could think of.  
Lyn was her warning and she was willing to show that it worked like a charm.

"And y..you want me to fix it?" She asked with a fake stutter. That wasn't her best attempt, but she had to act scared, make the kings feel more in control than they really were.  
 _"Strengthen it"_ a voice corrected her _"it's weaker than needed"_  
 _"We didn't have time to perfect it"  
"You have to do it for us"_

 ** _"Compete it"_**

The last voice commanded. It was the one she heard the least. The powerful presence that made the others retreat and her: cower.  
"I… I understand" Casey's voice was small and shaky. Not even a hint of lie was present in it, after all it was the truth, even if not the one they presumed. She really did understand their wish.

Another wave of emotions washed over the kings, some approving of her words, while others showed clear mistrust.  
 _"We didn't think you'd agree"_ one of them spoke, both relieved and skeptical, if that was even possible.  
Nevertheless that was expected and she had an answer ready. A simple, truthful one, all she had to do was phrase her words to keep out part they wouldn't want to hear.

"It's not a secret that I don't want that" she began, her voice still a bit scared "but you know monsters better than I do, you know what they're capable of"  
 _Friendly, kind, that's what they are._  
She chuckled to keep the thought away "not to mention how Sans was at first. Not exactly… friendly"

They seemed calmer, listening to her curiously. She tried her best to let only few thoughts show.  
"You're sure they're dangerous… aren't you?"

The kings only answered with a simple 'yes', then fell completely silent. But she could tell they were satisfied, locked in their endless emptiness.  
Did they know that she could feel all that? That she could keep an eye on them, like they did all this time? Those were questions she wanted answers to, yet couldn't risk to form them in her mind. For now all she could do was store them in the back of her head in a tangled mess that her mind presented.

The rest of the day Casey spent in her studio with kings teaching her yet another seal. It was weird and awkward to be in their company when they acted like nothing happened, like they didn't know that she was scared and doubtful.  
She was ashamed to admit it, but she failed to hide those emotions and they showed more than in once.

Not wanting to dwell on it, the girl concentrated on the circle forming in her mind. This one was so different from the previous ones, so simple and small with, almost, gentle feel to it, like a guardian.  
It felt so wrong and sad that something, seemingly so pure, was used to ruin so many lives of so many generations.  
Still she watched and remembered every detail, no matter how small, then she drew. The whole process became natural to her, yet this was the first time she noticed. Maybe it was because this was the first time she felt guilty about it.

She listened to the kings whisper to her, like they didn't do in a long while. But this time they sounded somewhat tired, yet relieved and hopeful, saying that she was almost done, that everything will soon end.  
It was so strange to listen to them when they finally felt like humans. More than anything it was a reminder of something she chose to ignore and for a moment Casey felt a ping of guilt, but it was short lived. She knew what they really were.

Over and over the same thoughts came to her mind and she didn't try to hide those.  
 _"What if they really believe they're doing the right thing?"  
"What if the monsters they fought against were different from the ones living now?"  
"What if what they did really was justified?" _

But unlike any other time there was no one to ask. No one to truly trust with the answers. As much as she hated it: not even Sans.  
All she could do was dismiss everything and continue with her plan. That was her only way to stay determined and brave.

Few days passed quicker than Casey appreciated to notice. Luckily for her some kind of virus spread throughout her town and she was able to call in sick. To Nye's and Lucy's suggestions to visit her, the girl answered with few simple words "I don't want you to catch my cold". It proved to be more effective than she originally thought, especially with Lucy, who apparently hated staying in bed for longer than necessary.

Now free from everyone Casey stayed locked inside the house working only on the remaining seals. The kings helped her more and more, encouraging her with words she never thought she'd appreciate. Yet she felt like she needed it, needed someone to simply say that she was doing a good job. And this time she knew they meant it, after all they needed perfect replicas.

"You said there was one more left?" Casey asked rolling a large paper with the sixth seal she finished that day.  
 _"Yes" "Just one" "We are close"_  
The voices spoke together, something she was used to and had no problem understanding. Then the gentle one broke from the rest.  
 _"And now you should rest"  
"It's too complicated" "It's too important" _

Their voices were so soothing, caring. So different from usual and they sounded genuine.  
 _"We won't bother you for some time"_ the gentle one spoke again and it almost felt like he was smiling, if a voice could ever do that _"we know you need some time alone"_  
That was the first time anyone, aside from her parents, had mentioned that not as something negative, but a simple fact they had to respect. She couldn't hold back a small smile as she nodded bidding them goodbye.

Casey stared blankly as gray clouds passed behind the large window of her studio. It was so calm and silent, for the first time in forever it felt… safe to think, something that never should've been an issue.  
Though, in a way, it felt empty now that they really left, but that feeling soon faded. In a matter of seconds she found herself smiling and giggling, simply happy to be free, it was refreshing more than anything.

Jumping to her feet Casey ran into her room grabbing her phone and flicked it on. There were a lot of texts and even a couple of missed calls from Sans. She felt bad for ignoring him for so long, but she couldn't risk texting him. She still only had vague ideas of what to do with the kings and their request, but keeping the skeleton out of the picture seemed to be the best option, considering her feelings towards him.

Scrolling through the mess of messages she only glanced over them, not wanting to spend time reading each.  
His first ones were joking and light-hearted, like always, but soon turned to suspicious as he thought she was mad at him. Then they got much more frequent and worried, then towards the end: lesser and lesser. She could practically feel fear from each word.  
Biting her bottom lip she began typing. She wanted to apologize, to explain herself. That would only be fair.

 _[Dove 3:] *Hey, Sans*_  
She awkwardly sat waiting for a response, thinking it would take some time. Instead the answers bombarded her after mere seconds.  
 _[Sans:] *Where have you been? You got me worried sick.*  
[Sans:] *I thought something happened*  
[Sans:] *Don't scare me like that*  
[Dove 3:] *Calm down, Sans, I'm fine*  
[Dove 3:] *I couldn't contact you because I'm helping the kings* _

Holding her breath she waited for a response. He wouldn't judge her for that, would he? He'd understand.  
 _[Sans:] *Helping 'em? What do ya mean?*_

Taking a deep breath Casey began writing what was happening. Everything about Lyn, and the kings' words and "requests" after that. Her thoughts and plans about it and everything she had learned about the seals.  
Overall it wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.  
But, as surprising as it was, what interested the skeleton the most was the fact that she wasn't reading the journal he gave her. Casey explained that she didn't need to, that the kings showed her everything anyway, but he wasn't convinced. More than that, it, apparently, proved his point.

The phone went silent for a while as Sans went to 'look for something'. Few pictures followed. Some were from the notebook she gave him, others were similar, but written in a messy handwriting. Few contained algorithms and calculations she couldn't make sense of.

When he finally began to type again, she was ready for an explanation and it came in a single line.

 _"Dove. I think they're scared you'd break it"_


	15. Hope

Making himself more comfortable in his seat, Sans watched snow fall through the window-like opening of his sentry station. He leaned his arms on the wooden counter, resting his head on top. There was no activity around for a long time now. Frisk didn't show up and Sans was beginning to wonder if he ever will.  
But the thoughts of him soon faded. In front of the skeleton's eyes was the surface. After seeing the little, but beautiful part of it so many times and breathing the fresh air that was already spreading in the Underground, after feeling the sun on his bones, he wanted to walk there freely.  
Many years ago he lied to himself over and over, every time with the same words:  
"I don't need to get out to be happy. There's no point in trying, it's not that bad here either"  
So much time had passed and it seemed like he truly believed it now. But that small gap and that single girl crumbled every belief he created. He wanted to be free.

Her image from only two days ago appeared in front of his eyes. The way she smiled, the way she shifted her gaze to watch at anything but him when he made another stupid move. He loved how she didn't confront him about it yet, didn't turn him down. It gave him hope that she saw something in him, maybe even liked him..?  
Even when he masked everything with puns and bad jokes, he knew Casey wasn't dumb enough to overlook the small, but noticeable changes in his attitude. From dislike to buddies to love. Even if she wasn't sure about his feelings, she must've noticed how much he tried to stay alone with her, how much he enjoyed her company.

Sans' eyes moved down and he poked the phone screen. He still waited for her respond to his next masterpiece of a pickup line.  
He only now noticed his foot tapping in a quick pace, nervous. He knew it was a bit creepy, but he learned her schedule by now, she should've been done already.  
Letting out a long breath Sans relaxed a little bit typing another message.  
She must've not noticed.

* * *

The bright light from an unchanging screen illuminated a small part of a dark room. Sans stared at it, his vision undisturbed.  
No responses, she never looked at his texts. Was she mad? Did he do something wrong?  
He hoped he did, he hoped it was his fault and she was sulking or something.  
It's been so long now and there was no activity from his dove. If not for that exchange between them the other day about the missing girl, he wouldn't be so worried now. He wouldn't be so scared.

Putting the device back on his bedside table, Sans lay down, his hands clenching a pillow as a sort of restrain. If he let go, he knew he'd snatch the phone just to check it one more time.

He couldn't tell how long had passed and how many time he drifted in and out of unconscious before finally falling into deep dreamless sleep.

* * *

How long had it been? A week? More?

If before Sans was worried, now he was plain terrified. She never replied and when he went to the crack in the wall, she wasn't there. What if something happened to her, what if she was in trouble? He couldn't get rid of those thoughts. With each passing day they grew larger.

He just wanted to know that she was safe.

* * *

It was getting harder to hide his emotions and fear, especially from Pap, so Sans spent more and more time in his room or in the lab.

Though at first it was a way to avoid his brother, with each day spent in that old place, he realized that his purpose had long changed. He was actually working on something other than that hopelessly broken machine stuck in his basement.

His dove's blood and the strange substance they distracted from it was the first thing he and Alphys turned to. A substance that was weaker than determination, yet far more ancient and in a way more durable. Warm like the sun, a base that in theory could create an artificial Soul. Though weaker than a monster's, but a complete one.  
It was Alphys who named it in the end. Just like someone long ago understood the nature of determination, she took it upon herself to figure out this one.  
 _Life. Her life._

Of course few drops of blood didn't contain much life, but it was in its purest form. Something they couldn't get from anything in the Underground, not even monsters. The reason being that their life flowed through their magic, something that disappeared soon after being distracted.

It was a breakthrough of sorts. Not the one they were looking for or expected to find, but one equally important.

At first Alphys was confused with Sans' sudden and frequent reappearances. She asked him on few occasions what the reason was, but each time he'd shrug it off or would take the opportunity to torture her with tasteless puns. Something he often did to avoid a topic.  
So eventually she stopped trying. There was no point in pushing him. Instead the two began working together, like they did long ago.

Now with the entire lab and its equipment at his disposal, Sans could do so much more than in his little room in their basement. He _wanted_ to do more, as much as possible.  
If Casey wasn't going to respond. If, Stars forbade, something happened to her, he wanted to give it his all to find her himself. To get out of that place. He couldn't afford not to care anymore.

Sans' first move was showing Alphys everything he originally wasn't planning to. The drawings, her notebook and the few pictures she recently sent him.  
That was two days ago.

* * *

The table under a large pink poster of a catgirl was littered with crumbled papers, drafts, few books and files. Nothing was in order and the few papers that were placed neatly were a result of a miraculous accident.  
Among all that mess set Sans. His brow-bones furrowed every once in a while as his eye scanned over lines he wrote less than an hour ago. Readjusting his glasses he made just a couple of corrections among many mistakes where there was no way around.

Alphys' voice sounded from his side loud and clear, yet he was only vaguely aware of her question.  
He glanced at few drawings laid out neatly on the floor, pointing at one of them.  
"That's the one she gave me with the notebook." He mumbled returning his focus to his work, but it wasn't as strong anymore.  
"No need to repeat the whole thing" he heard Alphys' quiet voice grumble, unaware that she was heard.  
"Thanks" she added a lot louder and Sans sniggered under his breath. One of his very few genuine laughs lately.

"Did ya find something?" he nodded towards the papers she was previously working on.  
She didn't reply for a while, looking over everything, confirming whatever theory she had. She walked around the large paper with incoherent mumbling, like in some kind of ritual, then hurried to Sans tapping a finger on something in the notebook he couldn't yet see.

"I did" she finally answered standing next to the skeleton in a way that both could see what she was referring to.  
"There's a pattern. See these symbols?" She pointed at two "everywhere else one is written after the other, but in this journal she changed the order"  
Sans nodded, still not quite sure what to do with that information. Sure that was a good start, but… now what?

Rubbing the back of his skull Sans picked up the circle placing the paper at the desk, over everything else. At this point it was obvious there was more to look into, no shortcuts.  
"We gotta take our time with this, don't we?" His thoughts broke out with his low voice. He sounded tired and, kind of disappointed. He hoped to get through quickly, but he'd rather not fuck up.  
"Yeah, you… you're right. We shouldn't rush" he saw Al nod. She sounded relieved.  
Relieved that he didn't succumb to his usual laziness thanks to his goal she probably already figured out.

Occupied by their work the two scientists didn't notice time pass. Just like before, they still worked in near perfect synchrony. Little by little they found more similarities and more patterns to follow that slowly but surely began to connect into a bigger picture.  
It wasn't easy to come up with it, but after few hours they finally found one complicated-as-heck algorithm to follow… Well, Sans found it. Alphys only helped a little.  
Though it wouldn't decode the writings, it allowed them to convert the other circles to whatever Casey wrote. Assuming the pattern was the same.

Mumbling under his breath Sans wrote few more terrible imitations of the same symbols, to make sure that the algorithm worked.  
"Yap, it's what she wrote again" he grinned showing Alphys the result.  
"That's it?" The female raised a brow "so all she did was change the order? But why?"  
Obviously that wasn't a mistake. That or her mistakes were in perfect sync with one another.  
"I don't know" Sans' voice was low like it became when he was too tired or lazy to function.  
"What do you mean, you don't know? We have to figure this out!"  
"I know" too lazy to make puns. This was getting serious.  
"And here I thought you wanted to find her."  
"Hey!" Sans immediately perked up shooting her a glare "'course I do. I just need to think, ya know that"

He heard the lizard sigh, then stand up. Her footsteps moved away, soon vanishing. Probably off to get more coffee or snacks. He wouldn't mind either of those.  
Clicking his tongue, Sans once again turned his attention to the mess of papers, trying to make sense of all that. Why would Casey write a different version of the same spell? It couldn't be just cosmetic, there had to be a purpose. In magic there always was.  
Maybe this was meant to strengthen the spell? Added, replaced? There were too many possibilities.

"So Casey mentioned that the 'kings' wanted her to finish a seal or something" Sans said hearing his friend return. He turned to her and took the bowl of instant noodles that was offered to him. Sitting next to him, Alphys fixed her glasses indicating that she was interested, so he continued.  
"But the thing is, she said she drew these perfectly"

Silence fell around them for a short while, their eyes pinned to the food, as if it'll cook faster if they stared hard enough.  
"So she draws perfect circles, but those kings want her to finish them?" Alphys' sounded as skeptical as Sans felt "and you think the notebook is for that?"  
"I guess" he shrugged, answering out of reflex. In reality he didn't think that was the case. He didn't even know why, it just didn't feel right, like there was more to this that met the eye…  
No, that wasn't the case either. There wasn't anything _more_ , just different, and he could feel they were within an arm's reach form that answer.

They sat in silence, no one bothering to check for how long. Empty bowls resting on the floor, forgotten. They stayed in their own minds, hoping to find a solution there, to understand.  
If only she'd answer.

Pulling out his phone he typed another message in the sea of unanswered ones.  
 _[Sans:] Please answer. I'm scared._  
It didn't go through. Bad reception  
 _[Sans:] Dove, I miss you._  
It didn't go through.  
 _[Sans:] I love you._  
… It didn't go through.

He let out a long, exhausted sigh, rubbing his forehead. His mind once again tried to sort all the information out into something more or less logical.  
He began mumbling under his breath, something that helped him think.  
"I don't think the notebook was a part of the kings' plan" he said in a clearer voice, so that his friend could hear "she wrote in it using a book, something _they_ had no connection to"  
"What book?" A confused question made him move his gaze from the ceiling to the woman next to him.  
"A scientist's journal I gave her" his focus was returning to reality more "The one I assisted, but never saw"  
"You GAVE it to her!?" Alphys slammed her hands at the table, causing few things to fall and sprung up to her feet.  
It was an unspoken rule to never share any kind of research with people outside of the lab, let alone lend a whole bunch of it to a random human.  
"We have no use of it here anyway" Sans argued no less sternly "but it could help her get us out" he looked away and at the drawings "and to be fair it did"  
"And it can be the reason we're stuck here for good" Alphys growled, a sound she rarely made. But he knew she was right. He couldn't have known something like this could ever happen, but it didn't make him any less guilty.

Neither of them wanted to continue the argument, both had their valid points. Now all they could do was wait and see how it'll turn out.  
"So what were you saying?" Alphys sat back down, back to her usual calm and reserved self "how come it's not their plan?" She returned the conversation to the important thing.  
"Think about it. Dr. G wanted to leave as much as we do, so why research a way to fix something that's keeping us here?"

…

"You think that is a way to…" Alphys pointed at the notebook, confused "do what exactly? Break it?"  
Sans perked up a little. He didn't think of it that way. He grinned.  
"Maybe"  
His sudden interest and surprise didn't go unnoticed to Alphys.  
"What did you think it was?"  
"I don't know. I thought it was just a general info we could use to… do whatever"  
The female nodded, fixing her glasses.

"Let's not forget that possibility either."

Sans went home exhausted that day, his magic drained from his futile attempts to use it on the spell. Yet his smile was bright and wide. He was satisfied with his and Al's work of past few days.  
Tucked in a fluffy blanket that he took from his brother's closet Sans was in bed, slowly falling asleep. The dimming light outside and the noise of the TV fading.

A short, sharp sound echoed in the small room, bolting Sans awake. Tense at first, he soon relaxed lying back down with a soft sigh when he realized it was just his phone…  
"Wait. Phone!"  
He sprung up once again, so quickly his vision blackened for a moment. Unlike humans, monsters very rarely experienced it, so that was saying a lot.  
He snatched the small device, checking for texts and sure enough there was one.

 _[Dove3:] Hey, Sans._  
He barely payed any mind to how plain it was. For now he was just relieved and happy to learn that she was fine. He'd worry about the content later, if ever.  
He found his finger gliding over the keyboard already, his mind both excited and freaking out at the same time. He waited for a reply and it came quickly, as did the rest. One after another.

She apologized, explained everything that happened. How she was scared they were watching her, how she thought she was in danger, which was the reason why she hadn't been responding to him, hoping to trick them.  
But one thing among all interested him more than others. Something that confirmed his theory.  
 _[Sans:] they didn't let you read my journal?  
[Dove3:] They showed me everything. Said reading the same thing would be a waste of time. Why?  
[Sans:] gotta check smth. hold on._

Almost falling from his bed Sans didn't take a second to teleport right in front of the messy table in the lab. A short shriek sounded from somewhere downstairs moments before rough scaled footsteps slowly inched closer.  
"What are you doing here?" Alphys sounded tired "you… you scared me"  
From the way she looked -in her pjs, an ice-cream in one hand and a remote sticking out of her pocket- her interrupted plans were obvious. He, on the other hand, actually looked like a hyperactive mess, as odd as it was for him.

Sans grinned, searching through the papers and snapping few pictures, only sparing the female a short glance.  
"Casey just texted" he beamed climbing on top of the table and holding the phone above his head in search for a signal "and said something interesting"  
"Like?" The scientist dragged the question both skeptical and curious.  
"She said the kings are teaching her seals and shit"  
"You said that already"  
"Yeah" Sans briefly nodded, frozen in place as another text was being sent "what I didn't say is that they won't let her look into Dr. G's journal. They didn't say why either… Well, they did, but I'm not buying it"  
"Why not?"  
"The only reason they had was 'we teach ya already, so why bother'. Don't ya think it matches with what you said?" Alphys nodded slowly, probably already guessing where he was going with this.  
"How much you wanna bet, that they're scared? I think ya were right, what she found can break their plans"

He quickly typed a response, grinning a bit wider at how shocked and proud Al looked at that moment. If before there were only hunches and guesses, now he was almost sure.  
They were scared she'd find a way to defy them, to get in their way. And unlike the girl Casey talked about, she herself posed an actual threat to them, yet they needed her.  
"I wonder what will happen if she replaces the original words with those" he nodded towards the notebook that by now had turned into something precious and important "there should be a reason why my magic showed this to her"

His theory held no real evidence or proof, but to Alphys it made sense.  
"I guess there's only one way to find out" she mumbled, not sure in her own words "but wouldn't it be dangerous?"  
Sans got down, looking much more serious than before. He didn't want to do this, really he didn't, but there was no other way. She was already in danger, already in this mess, he couldn't ask her to stay away.  
"It will be, but I don't see any other way to get rid of 'em for good" he grumbled "but she doesn't have to do anything right away, ya know? I'm just letting her know what to work on"  
Though his voice and words sounded confident, his dimmed eye lights told a different story. Like he was trying to convince himself before anyone else.  
"She's a smart cookie" Sans grinned after a short silence "she'll know what to do"

Bidding his farewell to Alphys one more time he only saw her nod with a silent 'good night' before all sound and color faded into darkness which then slowly formed his room.  
The skeleton lay down into his bad again. Cuddled into a blanket he tapped on Casey's reply.

 _[Dove3:] What am I looking at?_  
He chuckled, cheekbones dusting blue. He was just happy to be talking to her again.  
 _[Sans:] if I'm right you have to change what's in the circle with what ya got in your notebook.  
[Dove3:] Ok… But I don't exactly have it. Also why?  
[Sans:] don't know, but the book ya got it from was a research one of the Royal Scientists did. Al and I found_ _out that what you got is a changed version of original text. We think it might be a way to counter the spell._

He didn't want to say anything about breaking the seals just yet. He wanted to make sure of it first, thought he didn't know how.  
The phone was silent for a while and Sans got worried she had disappeared again, but it buzzed making his smile return.  
 _[Dove3:] I'll keep it in mind. I don't want to try it now, in case it's something big.  
[Sans:] Yeah, we gotta be careful, love. _

He knew she would be. She had to. He couldn't lose her, not like this.  
Part of him believed that everything would be fine, that he was being paranoid. Believed that the monsters will go free soon.  
He believed that he'd see his dove if he tried a little harder, if he waited a little longer. He'd talk to her, hold her hand. He'll be able to confess and, if he got lucky, kiss her.

He wanted to believe they'd get their happy ending.


	16. Fall

It was chilly when Casey stepped out. The late autumn turning early morning dew into most beautiful white layer of crystals that shimmered in the light, in odd, yet most natural way. She breathed in the clear mountain air, for a moment thinking back to the little conversation with Sans and what followed. If what he said was true she had to hurry before the kings decided to return.

She had tried to go through the book, like he suggested. She tried, but it was worse than the first time she had laid her eyes upon its pages. Before, she didn't understand much, couldn't distinguish the words, but now… Now she could barely concentrate. Something frighteningly familiar was holding her back, showing everything as nothing more than mash or random strokes and dots. She didn't need to think too hard to know what the reason was. She was too close to _their_ magic and too far from Sans'. She wanted to return to the place where this all began, but she couldn't meet with the monster, if they saw it, if they saw him, _them_ together, their plans would fail just like that, without even starting.

It took her a while to think of something to do by herself, without help, and an idea eventually popped into her mind.  
It seemed to be an eternity ago when she took his magic to the first circle she found. A little bone, nothing much. But that was all she had of his magic at the moment. She hoped it was still there.

Casey had been anxious that night, waking up almost every hour. It almost felt like she was stuck in a fever dream she couldn't wake up from. Needless to say, she wasn't well rested the next day. Faint hints of dark shadows could be seen under her eyes, but she barely noticed.  
She painted a little before the sun rose. It seemed to be so long since she last did. It calmed her, made her think of nothing else but the colors and the world on the canvas.

When she felt better, braver, she moved out with a sketchbook and pencils in her hands -like she always did-, took Cinis and was off into the mountains. Partly by habit, partly on purpose she didn't think of anything truly important, focusing only on her drawings, on the surroundings, taking in small details that created huge worlds in her head.

Paths and trees passed her by, sunlight was still warm, but no longer enough to ward off the cold of the wind.  
She thought back to the time when she first met Papyrus and Sans and when she felt that ominous presence few days later. It's been a while since then. Now it was peaceful in the woods, like it has always been. Nothing was watching her, nothing was a threat. For a moment she wondered if the presence was ever there, or her mind had played a trick on her. She couldn't know now.

Casey stopped few times, looking around to find her way once again and soon calm water's surface caught her eye. A very soft, yet bright glimmer appeared for a split second before thick layer of trees hid it from view again. She changed her route and almost instantly saw another gleam then another until the blue of the small lake slowly grew along with silvery spots of sun's reflection.

She carefully guided her horse around large rocks and sharp looking branches hidden in tall grass, hooves leaving behind a trail of muddy prints until Cinis stepped on drier part of the shore.  
Most of the ground was covered in withered petals of once white trees that now stood tall in glorious green. Surprisingly the lake was free of drying leaves and petals, its waters crystal clear like always. It almost felt like it could never be soiled, perhaps it really couldn't.

When Casey got down and turned, the bridge in front of her seemed so foreign, yet familiar. Each stone leading further into the center of the lake was like from a dream: quickly fading from memory, but still there somewhere.  
Everything was so peaceful in that small world, so _normal_. As if the rest of the world and its chaos could never reach there. For a moment she forgot why she was there at all. A sweet illusion of safety lasted for several long seconds before she was forced back into reality.

A sigh escaped her lips as she made her way across, easily jumping from one platform to another. It was nostalgic to be back there, even though so much was different. The white that used to make this place so unique was replaced with green -though pretty, but much simpler-, while the earth was now colorful with wild flowers that were bound to wither in less than a month. There was no wind, no waves and each little crack of each little stone was visible. But the biggest of changes was her. Something within her was not the same, the part that was scared and hid from the world was stronger. Yet her steps were bolder, more confident.

In the middle of the lake, in a circle that was another beginning of her adventure and misfortune she stood looking around, at the sky, the clouds, trying to see beyond. She looked into the water, for the first time noticing the lake's bed and life that it was empty of. Her gaze stopped at her feet and what was around them. The curves and sharp corners of ancient writings still filled her with awe: now a little bit more than before. After seeing new circles through magic and paper alone, one she could touch felt so much more real and powerful.

Not daring to look away Casey sat down. Her hand gingerly traced over the symbols and the edge, feeling the uneven surface as if for the first time. At touch it was colder than she remembered, but not unpleasant.

She stared for few long minutes, looking each character over. But none of it made sense to her. She could no longer distinguish the words from one another.  
Yet she stayed. It was comfortable there, far more than anywhere else. The little area felt detached from the rest of the world, so she stayed.  
A little voice inside her head, her own voice powered with something other than herself, whispered that she was protected there, protected from what sacred her. She wanted to believe it.

As time passed in rare tranquility she felt safe enough to let her imagination roam and thoughts: shape. Images and ideas she never knew she had clouded her vision and her mind's eye. She wanted to paint them one day, when everything was over and back to normal.  
She wondered if the kings in her head could see or know of the worlds she created. It would be fine if they did, she wanted them to. She wanted to show it to someone, all her worlds that coexisted, even to them. Before she could stop herself, she called out.  
Her eyes flew open at the realization of what happened and she held her breath waiting for what was to come, for spirits she still had hard time believing existed. But nobody came.  
Did they not hear her? Were they ignoring her or trying to trick her?  
She called again, this time fully intending to. Nothing.

Feeling braver she let few other thoughts slip through. About monsters and the barrier, still holding back her intentions.  
Nothing.

Only after that did she notice the little voice inside her telling her that she was free of them in that little bubble, somehow it knew. That couldn't have been a coincidence. But she wasn't sure if she wanted to trust that distant feeling.  
Letting out a sigh she got up. It felt nice to just be there, but there was no other purpose. The magic she came looking for was sealed too deep for her to reach. Though she was disappointed, she didn't let it get to her. She was prepared to try harder.

It took her few seconds to think only of her paintings. Even though the kings didn't seem to have heard her, she didn't want to risk it. Not now, when there were important things she could lose.

The way home was silent and slow. Casey payed barely any attention to her surroundings. She thought she was close to something and now she didn't know what to do next.  
She let out a long sigh shaking her head in attempts to clear it. Sans needed her help, she couldn't act pathetic. She couldn't act like she felt.

She didn't really think about her next move when she got home, she simply did what _felt_ right. She dug out Sans' journal and set it in front of her. If anything she was even more confused staring at it than on the mounting, near that circle…

 _That circle, it meant a lot, didn't it? She had to take the book to the circle._

She couldn't explain or understand any of what she was feeling. She just knew it would work, she knew it was the right and only thing to do now. She had to put those two things together.

She didn't fight it. On saddle once again she made her fast way back. This time she knew where to go exactly. His magic was calling her, guiding her. It had to be.

Casey skipped over the pond for the second time during that day, her pace almost too quick, yet she barely noticed it: something that would usually bother her.

Like for some kind of a ritual she knelt down, opening the book somewhere between the beginning and the middle. There, on a yellowish page was the same symbol that was carved in the stone before her. But this one was wrong, too small, too vague.  
She set it down and with nothing else to do, stared at it, waiting for something to happen. It wasn't a surprise when nothing did.

 _Of course it didn't. It was all wrong, an eyesore_. _She couldn't bare looking at it_.

Casey found herself leaning over the book, a pen in her hand. And she began scribbling down new symbols and correcting the old ones.  
Casey respected book, the mere idea of writing in one was disgusting to her. Yet now… Now she didn't think about it, she didn't care. There was only one goal, to make it 'right', to make it work. Almost like her very soul craved for it.  
She was done before long. Pen written lines and writings extended from the illustration, the main part too, was different, just like it was intended to be. Strangely she felt like she had written the same thing before, but couldn't remember when or where.

Casey gazed at her work for few moments before turning the book upside down and pressing the page against the sold stone. An instinct she wasn't aware of guiding her actions. She heard the wind carry away a faint whisper of a foreign name, like a spell. It took her a while to realize that it was her own voice that spoke.

Silence fell. Complete, deafening silence that drowned everything around: the water, the wind. She'd think nothing of it existed if she couldn't see the world still the same so clearly around her. Even her own breath and heartbeat didn't make a sound, even when she could feel both strongly.  
Then she heard it. A distant, deep groaning of something massive, like a huge wall of stone and metal beginning to crumble and bend. It disappeared just as fast as it came, leaving behind faint sound of echoing rain. A distant, soft sound that soon vanished too.

Casey looked around, trying to pinpoint the source, but the sound seemed to have come from everywhere at once, while nothing seemed to have changed.  
A moment passed like that, than another. It felt so slow, yet happened so quickly. Her body began to grow weak and heavy. Her breath slowed down, each getting deeper and longer than the last, it almost felt like she'd fall asleep any second now.  
Panic settled in her heart, she wanted to get away from there, get somewhere safe. At the same time the sudden exhaustion wouldn't even let her heartbeat speed up. It was too uncomfortable, too weird.

Eventually making herself calm down a little she lay down right there, scared that she'd fall into the water if she didn't.  
It was easier than usually to stay still. Casey's eyes closed, but she didn't want to sleep, only rest for a short while. It let her think and the fear settle down. She realized that she was only tired, nothing more, like her panicked mind suggested. Of course that didn't make things any less strange, but at least there didn't seem to be any immediate danger.

Casey couldn't tell how much time had passed when she felt somewhat better and strong enough to go back.  
Clutching the book close to her chest, the girl gingerly went across. Halfway over she could already hear her phone going off with multiple texts. _That was frustrating_.  
She groaned fishing the device out of Cinis' saddlebag. But flicking it on, her annoyance vanished, replacing with a soft smile.

[Sans:] Did ya do that?  
[Sans:] How did ya do it?  
[Sans:] It's the Barrier, something changed about the Barrier.  
[Sans:] We're trying to figure out what exactly happened. But it's good, I can tell.  
[Sans:] We still need a bit more done, but you helped a lot. Thanks, dove.  
[Sans:] When ya can, we gotta talk. See what ya did, so we know what to work on.

"Well, he's excited" Caset smiled to herself, staring at the screen…  
"Wait, what?"

The girl quickly reread the waterfall of texts, still not fully comprehending what just happened. She didn't need to be a genius to know that what Sans was talking about had everything to do with her little experiment. She quickly typed what she did. Though missing some small parts, she pointed out the main ones. Things she found important. She just hoped Sans would make sense of it. He always did.  
But now he was mostly at loss. He had never read or heard of anything she mentioned and did, something his magic apparently remembered perfectly.

That was the only thing he could tell for sure. His magic was still in that place, and some of it was still within her. It was those two parts that resonated with one another, resulting in the little voice that guided her to whatever had happened. Tough vague, that was the only explanation.

She could feel his disappointment and frustration from his texts alone. She couldn't blame him. The solution was so close, yet they couldn't reach it. In that moment he was impatient. They all were.  
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard as she was thinking of a response and a way to cheer him up. She froze.  
Things could never go well for long could they?

" _I tried to deny it to others, but it really was you_ " A young voice spoke at the back of her mind. A faint whisper that gradually became louder and clearer.

 _"Did you think we wouldn't know?" "Did you think we wouldn't notice?"_

With each voice joining the others the reality dawned on Casey more. The reality of how long she had forgotten about them, of how little she noticed at all, of how reckless she was.  
Every second of it became so vivid, appearing much longer.  
"I'm sorry" she was quick to respond, her voice low and uncertain "I didn't know what I was doing, I… I still don't know what happened"  
" _We know_ " one of them sighed, the words empty " _but you are happy with the result. You intend to continue, do you not?_ "  
"I'm confused in anything" Casey growled a half-truth. But they'd believe the other half, one she was desperate to hide. She could tell. She would too.

They went silent. She called over and over, but they didn't reply. She couldn't feel their presence even when she looked. That made her even more anxious, even more scared. They wouldn't leave her, not that easily, not with what she knew and what she did.  
They knew her deed better than herself, they heard her thoughts and plans. She wasn't careful enough and now monsters had to pay. It was her fault, only hers…

Her mind was a mess as she desperately searched for a solution. But there was none. For a moment she wondered and hoped, maybe it was safe after all, maybe they'd leave her be. But that thought was quickly overrun by fear and doubt. There was no way. They'd hunt her down, they'd do to her what they did to Lyn, they'd erase her.

She had to run.

When she came to her senses the forest was blurring past her and Cinis. Where they were going she didn't know, and suddenly she didn't care. Her breath came in short, shaky gasps, her heart was hammering inside her chest and the only thing she knew was her wish. Her desire to hide, to run. She forgot to care about anything else, anyone else. She didn't want to die. Only that remained.  
A small smile crept to her lips when she recognized the area. They were so close to the Underground. She was so close to Sans. A little more and she'd be able to see him again, a little more and for the first time she'd be able to hug him, to live close to him. Wasn't that what she wanted?

The images were there, clouding everything else. She wanted to go to him. And no one could stop her.

A girl with olive skin and a mess of brown hair stood in front of a large crack, a thick, leather bound journal in her hand. The usual invisible barrier had small tatters that flowed like in water, like in wind. She didn't notice.

She stepped closer to it holding out a hand to pass through the cold layer and for a split second she wondered how she knew it would be cold.  
She felt something holding her back as she took another step. A large animal. She didn't bother to look back to see what it was. She didn't care.

The thing let go with her next step and she could swear she heard two voices calling for her. Something about them was familiar.

She closed her eyes feeling something cold, yet strangely pleasant wash over her. That was the only way to escape that madness, wasn't it? Her only wish could finally come true.

The world turned black and she was no longer there.

* * *

I'm so sorry for not updating. But with a new job I had no energy to write.  
Good news are I'm not dead, so this story will be finished. Few more chapters to go.

Thank you guys for sticking with me for so long.


	17. Silence

The darkness was stretching forever, around and within. Silence that accompanied it was everlasting, consuming and deafening, yet peaceful and comforting. She felt complete, like she belonged here more than she did anywhere else. More than she did while painting or with her mother or alone and free in the wilderness on . It was strange, new, but not unwelcomed.

Casey looked down at herself, examining her body that appeared pale in contrast with the blackness. With no light around she was surprised to see herself at all, yet there she was, just like she would look standing in sunlight. Instead of her clothes, a light dress dyed in colors of night sky gently swayed without a wind around her form. Under her bare feet she could feel strangely smooth ground and could feel her own breath against her skin. It was odd, but at the same time almost expected it.  
She took a step after step and could feel somewhat slow, gentle movement. This went on for a while, but no matter how much she walked her breath stayed the same and no ounce of strain seemed to come to her muscles. It felt like she was floating, or her interpretation of how it would be like to float. It didn't take long for her to get used to this new feeling and with each step it felt more and more natural.  
One of the first questions she asked herself was _how did she know she was moving at all_. There was nothing around her. Nothing by which she could measure the change of her position. It took her a little while to notice the reason: Something in her chest was tugging outwards, almost leading her. It wasn't strong enough to easily notice, but it was there, getting stronger or weaker every now and again, forcing her to turn and keep moving in a strange line. It was like a compass, pointing to where there was something.

It was impossible to say how much time had passed, or if time existed or was relevant in this place at all, but as the nothingness moved around her and the tugging got stronger, it suddenly vanished and she stopped mid-step. Her toes softly grazing the 'ground' for a moment.  
Casey glanced down at her chest, confused, but no matter how much she waited, stepped back or to the side, the feeling didn't return. Did she reach wherever she was heading to? With no other bright ideas she reached out, trying to feel for something. Anything, really.  
 _Nothing_.  
She tried moving her hand from side to side as if testing the water and for a little while nothing happened, until a pleasant coldness spread through her arm to the rest of her body -or whatever form she was currently in- starting from the tips of her fingers. She tensed up for a moment, then the sudden coldness was gone, like it never was there.

She was filled with sudden curiosity to know where it came from. A type of urge she rarely had experienced in her life. With her hand frozen in place pointing to where exactly she needed to go, she took one large, awkward step.  
The darkness surrounding her changed ever so slightly. Slowly a deep blue glow filled everything under her feet. It shifted and swayed, making the ground look like thin glass over deep sea at night. It was scary and breathtakingly beautiful at the same time.  
Crescent ripples formed around her feet and as they got bigger, their colour changed from blue to a very faint orange before slowly vanishing like a ghost.

Not far away a figure could be seen, sitting upon the transparent layer over the ever changing waves. She had long brown hair, fair skin and a beautiful complexion. Her back was facing Casey, but even then she could tell who it was from a single glance. The one that started this for her. The unfortunate soul she knew while others had forgotten.  
Casey made her way towards her, but even when she made no sound the girl looked back, her expression a bit shocked. But her eyes lit up few moments later filling with relief at the same time. It must have been a while since she had seen someone too.  
"I know you" she said, her voice slightly deep for a young woman, but in no way unpleasant "You're from our school. I've heard people talk about you… I'm sorry, I don't remember your name"  
"Casey. And you're Lyn. I don't think there's anyone that doesn't remember yours" she joked with a smile and watched the other girl laugh.  
"Where are we?" She continued looking around and just like on cue the black above her head became dark blue then lighter and lighter until it began to resemble a sky from a crude painting. Clouds were hanging above them, motionless. Golden-white light began to fill the place making it look like daytime, yet sun never rose. Still it was strangely calm and comforting.

Lyn's voice was what turned Casey's attention back from the scenery.  
"I don't know" she sighed, defeated "All I know is that those voices put me in here"  
"Voices… What voices?" Casey stared for few moments, already knowing what the answer would be "You mean the kings?"  
Lyn let out a grunt, almost like a growl, glaring at nothing in front of her in disgust.  
"They are no kings" she spat, angry at her own memories as Casey sat down next to the girl "they're nothing but tyrants, cowards. No king would do what they did"  
Despite knowing that it was wrong to take advantage of the other's anger and hurt, there was no one else to turn to. Lyn was the only one here, maybe she could tell her more about the kings.  
"Will you tell me what happened?" She slowly spoke, hope heavy in her voice "I can't remember how I got here, wherever _this_ is. I need to get back"

With a dry snort Lyn shook her head, eyes closed like she just heard the stupidest thing ever.  
"Get back?" She asked clearly not expecting an answer "Do you know how many times I've tried? There's no way out of here, trust me"  
An uncomfortable silence fell between them, but as Casey watched the odd sky change again, calmness returned to them. It was like this place didn't contain any negative emotions. Fear, uncertainty, discomfort. For the first time in her life there was nothing. Yet her heart knew she should feel at least something, at least a little bit.  
"How did you end up here?" She asked again staring at the horizon where the light of nothing faded in a bright yellow flash.  
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Lyn shift in her place then pull her legs to her chest. There was obvious discomfort on the girl's face as her gaze got distant in remembrance.

"I don't remember a lot of it. Some parts are really…" she huffed waving a hand in front of her looking for the right word.  
"Hazy?" Casey guessed, she nodded.  
"It was around a year before this" she gestured around her "I'm not sure for how long I've been here"  
"My mom made me go hiking to that stupid mountain with her. I didn't want to, but I couldn't say no, she was really looking forward to it for a while. She promised it would be fun and honestly it was, but it cost a bit too much if you ask me" she chuckled at her own joke, but that smile was short lived.  
"A couple of days later I saw this weird dream where someone was talking to me, but I couldn't see them. I didn't even remember what they told me at the time. I didn't think much of it at first, I mean I see weird dreams all the time, but the same thing repeated again and then again and every time the voices changed. I counted seven of them"  
"Each time they said the same thing and at that point I couldn't really forget" she shrugged "They were talking about finishing their job or something. I couldn't understand half of their nonsense"

She went silent again, gathering her thoughts. She glanced at Casey as if waiting for something, a question maybe. Then she took another deep breath continued with her tale.  
"Obviously I didn't think they were real in any sense of the word. It went on for some time, then they decided to move on, just like that. Honestly I thought I was going nuts" almost as if bored Lyn rested her face against her palm, she finally asked what seemed to be on her mind for a while now "Have you ever wished you were crazy?"  
"No" Casey shook her head before the other girl had finished speaking. The answer was too easy and the question: way too odd. All of that was written on her face, all at once "I'd rather deal with them than insanity"  
"Aren't you scared?"  
"I am, but… What choice do I have?" Casey furrowed her brows, suddenly unsure what to say "I feel like I can do more against them than myself"  
Lyn raised a brow looking her guest over. Casey couldn't help but feel like she was being judged. She averted her eyes, unsure of what might follow.  
"You're right, you _are_ better at dealing with others. Except this time things didn't work in your favour, did they?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Did you really think you could get rid of royal assholes like you did with those students?"

Casey stared for few moments not sure what to say. At least not at first.  
"They were bullies, they deserved what happened to them" she grumbled under her breath. Why did people still blame her for that?  
"They deserved getting expelled, I'll give you that, but not over something they didn't do!" Lyn's voice went a little higher in very obvious annoyance.  
"I had no other choice, people had tried to report them, but they got away every time. I couldn't afford becoming the girl who cried wolf. I had to do something… and at the time, lying seemed the only option left"  
"That didn't make it okay. You do realize it was illegal, right? And it cost you all your friend, because most didn't want to rub you the wrong way. _They couldn't afford it_ " Lyn made air quoted around the last words before going silent.

Their surroundings went back to blackness, the ocean still moving beneath them: darker now. Casey looked away hugging her legs.  
"I never thought it would get as far as it did, I just wanted a harsher punishment than just detention. I had thought about stopping at some point, but I'm glad I didn't"  
Although she said that, the idea that an entire school was _scared_ of her was bizarre. No one ever was. The thought didn't sit well with her, but at the same time, it felt empowering somehow.

"I'm sorry" she heard Lyn sigh and they both were back to the tranquility of this place "I know it doesn't matter now, but it bothered me for a long time now, I guess I was looking for an opportunity to let it out"  
All the little brunette could do was nod, she wasn't really mad anyway. Although she still didn't understand this sudden outburst, she decided to not question in right now. Just like Lyn said herself, that wasn't important. She muttered a little 'that's okay' as she looked around again, still avoiding her companion.  
"How much time had passed here?" She asked. The light did rise and fall, but she was sure it hadn't been a day, not for them at least.  
"I don't know. I'm not sure time passes here at all, it's not bad though, my worries slip a little more the longer I'm here. It feels like I'll forget about them in no time. That's not a bad thing for eternal nothingness, right?"  
"We have to get out" A hint of desperation and plead could be heard in Casey's voice as she thought of Sans. As much as she liked him, it was a bit annoying that it was him she worried about over an entire race he was a part of.  
"I've tried. There's no way out" she heard the girl say again, probably getting tired of repeating that ridiculous claim "That boy said the same and he had been here longer"  
It took Casey a moment and a lot of gearwork in her brain to realize what she just heard.  
"What boy?" She asked, her voice a mixture of surprise, confusion and eagerness "There's someone else here?"  
Lyn hummed as a reply "Mhm. I've seen him a few times. Nice kid. Short brown hair, darkish skin, a stupid striped shirt. A shame he had to get stuck here with us"

Casey needed little time to react. Another person. Maybe he would know something they didn't. Maybe with all of them together they'll know what to do.  
She got up a bit too quickly, almost falling back because of it, but she evidently didn't care. And not because she was used to it.  
"Let's go. We should find him. With the three of us we might come up with something decent" the girl began, her voice a mixture of excitement and heist. She didn't need to spell it out for Lyn to understand what she meant.  
"You don't listen, do you?" She sighed from behind Casey getting up herself "Do you think I would be here if I could leave?"  
"No, but what can we possibly lose from trying? This existence isn't something I particularly want to keep"

With that she was off. Not knowing where to go or what to do. There were no waypoints, nothing at all, so the only thing she could hope for was the same feeling that brought her here. Maybe it will lead her somewhere else.  
She expected to be alone when she left Lyn's little home and the ocean under her feet disappeared. So she was pleasantly surprised to see yellow ripples follow her footsteps.  
"Tired of being alone?" She asked half-jokingly, slowing down her pace to fall in step with Lyn.  
"You have no idea"

For a while they walked seemingly without a destination and the chatter that filled most of the silence made the feeling so much more convincing. But it wasn't long before Casey noticed how Lyn moved in a specific way, turning every so often left or right. It was subtle enough for her to overlook, but became much more obvious the moment she paid attention.  
Soon the ripples around their feet disappeared replacing with little wisps of light, their color remaining the same: orange and brilliant yellow.  
As their conversation died down and their presence became comfortable for one another, Casey found herself mentally painting, her favorite way to pass her time. Without putting much thought behind it she wondered if Sans and Papyrus would like it. But the question was pushed back to the furthest corner of her mind when a familiar tug returned to her chest… It was interesting to Casey how one of the girls knew the way before the second. And more importantly how she knew where exactly it was leading.

Within moments they entered another little realm in this darkness. And then her eyes landed on a figure of a boy approaching them, leaving red wisps behind his footsteps, in that moment she questioned how she _didn't_ know.  
In that boy of no more than twelve she recognized a faint remain of the haunting presence that was following her in the woods. The one she told Sans about.  
She stared, unable to understand how he had changed. The same danger was somehow still there, but it was overwhelmed by kindness and a different type of strength. The person before her was a boy with tanned skin and clear, dark eyes, the one in the woods was a monster with cruelty of many. How she could tell all that she didn't know. Nor did she care.  
Needless to say, she had never actually seen him before, yet he was so familiar. She could tell it was the same for him. His little smile turned to a frown vaguely resembling fear. A fear directed not towards her.  
"You're here too" he said almost bewildered at his discovery.  
"And you've changed" Casey replied almost immediately, her eyes pinned to the boy "I see now. It makes a bit more sense"  
It was funny how they had to end up here to realize that they both were nothing but simple humans. Casey wasn't special, although he felt that way a little bit. And this boy, this poor child wasn't the monster she met back then. He was only a vessel for few of them.

The three fell into silence. Lyn was either too confused to say anything or just as awkward as the other two. Maybe it was a little bit of both. But it was her that broke the silence a little later. She began with introductions, visibly doing her best to lighten the mood and it worked. Her tone of voice combined with the type of words she chose moved Casey's mind away from gloomy thoughts.  
Soon they were joking and laughing while imitating the stereotypical prison talk of "what are you in here for?" caliber. It was nice to look at things from that perspective. But their jokes eventually stopped as it was Frisk's turn to tell his tale. He wasn't all too comfortable with it, but was determined to get through it.

"Before I got here they were there for over a year" Frisk began, tapping his temple, his brows furrowed and his gaze fixed on the darkness "At first I couldn't hear them well and didn't really listen either, but they got louder and louder. They scared me"  
He stopped, tugging on his stripped shirt, visibly uncomfortable with the memories alone. But the negative emotions soon vanished, as they always seemed to do in this place.  
"Sometimes I had thoughts, but they weren't mine. Like someone put it there" he went on "I ignored them for a long time, then they began to tell me about monsters and their plan"  
"Right. The plan to seal them again" Casey said, but Frisk shook his head.  
"No. They took a more direct approach with me. They wanted me to-" he trailed off as if scared to confess it to himself "-to kill them"

If she was being honest, it didn't surprise her in the slightest, the kings wouldn't hold back from anything extreme like that. What shocked her was their choice. Why would they choose a child for something like that? But she didn't say anything, she didn't know what would be appropriate. Lyn merely put a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
It took Frist a minute to get back to his story. The look he gave them made Casey think that it was her he was struggling to tell the truth to. Perhaps he knew how much the two brothers meant to her, or perhaps she was merely projecting her thoughts and feelings on that one look.  
"I don't remember how I got into the underground. I just remember waking up there, on a bed of golden flowers" he said, his distress replaced by desire to get it all off his chest "the first time I wasn't sure what was going on until I saw the first monster. Then I knew where I was. I refused to do as they told me, I didn't fight and gradually their voices got louder. They started yelling at me, saying I was a traitor. And when I spared Toriel-" Frisk took in a deep breath and went silent, that was enough to tell the two girls how important Toriel was.  
"They really didn't like that and they went really quiet after that. And the moment I was out of there, they brought me back… Before everything happened. I know it sounds crazy, but I'm not lying!"  
The boy almost yelled, certain that the two would accuse him of that any moment. The sudden outburst startled Casey enough for her to frantically look around her, as if a solution will pop out of nowhere.

"We didn't think you were" Lyn's voice came to the rescue and Casey quickly nodded.  
"Right. Time travel sounds very crazy, but at this point we know how much they can do" she said, not really believing her own words yet not doubting him either "umm… actually we know that we don't fully understand it, but that's beside the point"  
Frisk stared at her for what felt like minutes, as he tried to decide whether she meant it or not. In the end he just went on with what he was saying, leaving Casey in the dark.

"It happened again and again" he said looking at his little bare feet "and- I don't know when, but I killed one monster, hoping they'd leave me alone, then another one and then I realized that it was… fun. That was when they finally shut up"  
He gave up justifying himself. He didn't claim that those weren't his thoughts. As if he believed he was at fault.  
"After some time I didn't mind going through it over and over. One time I wondered what would happen if I killed them all, you know? Everyone. I forgot that it was their goal. It was like a game to me and I was exploring"  
"Sans was a real hassle, but I got through him eventually" Frisk's voice was dark and empty, a way for him to hide his emotions.  
A part of Casey wanted to strangle him. It was her common sense that kept her frozen in place.  
 _He didn't mean this. It wasn't him._

"It was a girl that stopped me. I don't know who she was, she had a funny name though" a sort of relief washed over the boy when he spoke of her "But next time I was sent back, the Underground wasn't the same. Sans changed it"  
"I think he lost it. He was covered in dust and was talking to himself. And that eye" Frist swallowed hard, his little hands rubbing nervously against one another "just one purple eye staring at me. I didn't have a chance against him"  
Casey hugged herself at the thought _. Funny how nightmares could become reality sometimes._

It took everything in her to stepped closer to him, place a hand on his back and smile at him.  
"It wasn't your fault" she said what she knew he wanted or needed to hear "They made you do it. It was them, not you" she rubbed his back in a gentle, soothing manner "they know how to make people do things for them"  
And defying them didn't end well.  
"But I don't understand. Why are you here?" Casey asked, the slight confusion enough for her to forget gentleness "It sounds like you were doing what they wanted from you"  
"Do you think they care?" Frisk huffed shaking his head "once they realized I couldn't get past Sans, they got me out of there. I think that's why they didn't try that route with you, because they knew it was impossible"

Frisk stiffened for a moment. He slowly looked up at the girl by his side, a mix of emotions in his eyes.  
"Sans and Papyrus… You know them, you're friends with them aren't you?" His question sounded like a statement. He knew the answer. Though he might not know the affection they had for each other, he knew they were on good terms "I saw you talking with Sans once"  
"Right. I felt someone staring at me that time" Casey nodded slowly "except I'm pretty sure I felt _their_ magic more than… well, you"

Lyn only looked between them, trying to make sense of this weird exchange of theirs. She looked more than a little confused and who could blame her. So much revelation, so little time.  
"Wait you stalked her cause the asskings told you to and you were talking to monsters and are friends with them?" She asked, clear distrust in her voice, first pointing at Frisk then at Casey. They nodded a little hesitantly.  
"Yeah"  
"pretty much"  
"I wouldn't say stalk"  
"He did watch me though. For what"  
"20 seconds?"  
"Sans was really worried when I told him"

"Are you serious?" Lyn cut them off a little loudly to hear herself over the sudden chatter "He was just saying how he was murdered by that Sans guy, cause he went nuts and you were just talking to him?"  
"He went nuts in the past timeline" Frisk said before Casey had a chance to answer, not that she could "because he remembers what happens in past few of them at least. He's fine now, right?"  
"Yeah, he is. No wonder he hated me at first" the poor girl muttered that part, her heart clenching at the thought. What if he forgot all about her once the monsters were out? What if he didn't want anything to do with her in the first place?  
"But I don't understand. Why did they go after me if their target was her" Lyn's voice snapped her out of those thoughts and she thanked Heavens for that.  
"I don't think they can go from one complete stranger to another"  
"That explains why they wanted that friend of yours, Nye. But I guess we tolerated each other enough that they didn't have to kill one other guy" Lyn shrugged shaking her head "I'd apologize for the fake confession, but I can't as you can see"

Another silence, probably one last time as each seemed to try and digest everything they just talked about. Even though they knew a lot of the parts for a while now, putting everything together showed them a new perspective. It was still hard to come to terms with the simple fact that all this wasn't a dream. This was their reality.  
"What about the others? The ones before us. How come everyone knows about them, yet forgot Lyn?" Casey's voice was soft and small, but it was more than enough to cut through the silence "the people that went missing"  
There was no need to confirm her suspicions. It was too much of a coincidence that a bunch of people seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth around the time they got –for the lack of a better word- possessed by seven ancient kings. The other two apparently agreed, because no one questioned that theory.  
"I don't think people remember me either" the small boy looked down at his clasped hands "I think it's because they broke our Souls or something. They just left the others. It made them empty, but they are still out there, somewhere. I've heard them talk about it, but I didn't understand what they were saying until much later"

A sense of dread crept into Casey's heart again, despite the almost forced calm around her. What would they do now that they've gone so far? There was no way they couldn't do anything. After all Casey helped then in a way that would last, when Frisk's doing was undone.  
"I… I need to get out. Get back" she said in a half-whisper biting her nail and feeling her breath get heavier.  
"How many times must I tell you?" Lyn's voice was distant for her rushing mind "It's impossible"  
"How can you tell? We're here aren't we? I don't know where 'here' is, but we exist" Casey held her arms in front of her as if showing that she wasn't a ghost, that she had flesh "Apparently our Souls broke, yet we're still here. It has to mean something"  
"I thought about it too. I tried some things, like calling out my Soul, but nothing worked" Frisk said thoughtfully, his calm contrasting Casey's near panic "Apparently Determination alone isn't enough here"  
"But there's three of us, there should be something we can do" She began to pace rubbing her hands together in an old nervous habit of cleaning off traces of paint. Her voice grew quieter "We have to try"

She tried to sound optimistic or confident, but her breath alone showed desperation: quickened and shaky. Was there really nothing to lose, not even their minds? She realized that she didn't care. All she wanted was to make sure he was fine. That her mom was out of danger, a part of her was scared they would go after her next.

Like second nature her hand went up to her neck feeling for the cross that wasn't there. But a ghostly memory of metal against her skin comforted her. It helped her calm down and for few moments she prayed. She remembered mom and dad, he was coming home very soon. She wanted to be there when he did. She couldn't let herself be scared when there was so much to look forward to.  
With a faint smile she looked back at the two, worry in their eyes over her panicked state growing weaker.  
"Frisk you are our determination and Lyn you want justice, don't you?" She chuckled, Papyrus told her a little about types of Souls "Do you really think this is justice, do you really think we should give up?"  
She took a deep breath staring down for a moment. She hated how helpless she felt right now.  
"I'm not very useful, but I'm not gonna sit back and let them do what they please"

" _I admire your resolve"_ a youthful, painfully familiar voice suddenly came from behind Casey, a strange adoration lacing it. A voice that had haunted the young girl for moths " _A pure Soul is what we lost long ago"_  
As she turned around she was greeted with a faint mist of green hovering among the endless darkness. A hazy shape of a heart seemed to form in its centre.

" _Let me help you_ "

* * *

 **Goodness gracious. It's been almost a year since my last update.**

 **I apologize for the delay, but a lot happened since then. That along with a really bad writer's block and loss of energy was enough for me to just put it off for a while. I felt like nothing good would come out of forcing it and I'm glad I made that choice.**

 **I feel a lot better now and I feel like I get into it with full force once again.**

 **Thank you for sticking with me despite this and I hope you will enjoy our journey from here till the end :)**


End file.
